CANTON, Ga. — Firefighters in Canton are preparing to say goodbye to their 100-year-old department. Thursday night, city council members unanimously voted to merge Canton Fire Rescue with Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services.
The city says this will save taxpayers $6 million over the next six years.
Several residents, including former council member Hooky Huffman, spoke out against the consolidation. Huffman talked with a few firefighters after the meeting and told Channel 2’s Rikki Klaus, “They’re not happy about it. They’re very proud of their department. Very proud of what they’ve done.”
“We are a fire department of 35 firemen,” said Hobgood. “We’re surrounded by a fire department of more than 300. It’s just good economics that we work together.”
Klaus spoke with Mayor Gene Hobgood, following the more than two-hour discussion.
The Cherokee County Commission still has to vote on the 50-year intergovernmental agreement before it’s a done deal. The commission meets early next week. If approved, the merger would go into effect January 1.