City of Marianna shows frustration with the County Commissions rejection of the fire agreement

Marianna, Fla. The Marianna City Commission Mayor Travis Ephraim opened the workshop by reviewing the long history of the city’s fire agreement with Jackson County, stretching back to 2010 and the later separation over Fire Station No. 2. “They returned with a different agreement,” Ephraim said. “We were asking for $75,000 and an annual CPI increase, and we changed the termination notice from 120 to 60 days. Of those three things, only the 60 days was adhered to.” The mayor expressed disappointment that, despite months of communication, the county presented an entirely different proposal after the city’s offer expired. “That kind of lends itself to what we're saying in terms of perhaps it's not as important to them as we thought it should have been.”

Fire Chief Michael Hall explained that he had resubmitted the city’s proposal in May 2025, which was straightforward: a $75,000 annual payment, CPI adjustment, and 60-day exit clause. Instead, “they took our agreement that we proposed... and they set it to the side and came up with their own agreement,” Hall said. “That agreement is completely different... It’s an amount of $60,000 with no annual increase and a five-year term. They want to lock in for five years at sixty. How much inflation is there going to be in the next five years? If it's like the last five, we’re going to be way behind.”

The city’s fire department covers an area extending five miles beyond the city limits, an area, Hall said, “Roughly the same size as the city of Marianna.” That radius includes 2,830 residential structures compared to 2,808 inside the city, and nearly the same number of commercial buildings. “Essentially it’s the same size as the city,” he said. “So it’s basically like we’re protecting the city of Marianna twice.”

When asked by Commissioner Pettis what portion of total calls come from that area, Hall said it was about 10% of the department’s workload, or around 150–200 calls a year. Yet, as Finance Director Kim Applewhite noted, “The fire department’s budget is $1.4 million, and 10% of the calls are outside the county. That’s $140,000 right there, and that’s not even counting capital.”

Ephraim stressed that Marianna taxpayers are already absorbing those costs, “We’ve levied these increases on our citizens for the protection. They’re paying $12 a month, and for commercial buildings as well. My neighbor is not in the city, I am, I’m paying my $12.50, but you’re getting the same coverage for pennies on the dollar.”

Ephraim continued, “It’s apparent that this service that we’re providing is not important to them. If anything is important to me, I pay for it, my power bill, my utility, my food. So I’m not sure any of that’s important to them.”

Commissioner Rick Pettis reminded everyone that the city and county once had a strong partnership when Fire Station No. 2 was created. “It was vital to the success of that project, and everybody was on board,” he said. “There was an understanding that we were going to operate as partners together to make this work. Somewhere along the line that seems to have dissipated.”

Mayor Ephraim echoed that frustration: “We’ve increased the amount of funds that we require of our citizens to provide fire safety. We’re carrying the brunt of the fire safety in our area and the five miles outside of our area, and we’re asking the county to consider that and they say, no.” He added that the city has “swallowed that bitter pill” since 2014 to maintain proper fire protection and ISO ratings, while the county contribution has stayed stagnant at $52,000. “We’re being asked to maintain our current ISO rating, level of equipment, and manpower for that amount. You’re asking a lot to not be putting in any additional money.”

City Manager William Long agreed: “Our ability to respond when called upon is all hinged on our being able to be ready. And being ready involves a lot of different things, training, equipment, insurance, all of which are more expensive now than they were 14 years ago.”

The conversation returned repeatedly to Fire Station No. 2, which the county had pulled out of years earlier. “If they would have kept their agreement with Fire Station 2 for those nine years,” said Commissioner Rico Williams, “we’d probably be having different conversations.”

Mayor Ephraim pointed out that the station’s role is critical to the area’s industrial and economic development: “Every piece of development out there is kind of understood that that provides the fire safety for that entire industrial park. The county is looking out for the interests of its residents and businesses, but this shouldn’t take five or six years to negotiate $23,000.”

He also warned that if the city can no longer support Fire Station No. 2, “At best it’s going to be a volunteer station for a while. They have placed their attention and their funds elsewhere. That station will not exist as it is now being manned with salaries and firefighters.”

Ephraim and several commissioners agreed that it was time to send a 60-day notice formally ending the MOU. “We’ve had five months to negotiate,” the mayor said. “A partnership requires two willing entities working together, and as it relates to the fire and local agreement, I don’t see the county being a willing partner.”

Hall said his department is already preparing maps and “hard lines” along major roads to clearly define which areas the city will continue to serve after separation. “We just need to set some hard lines so there’s no confusion,” he said.

Pettis supported the move: “I think it’s time for us to come up with a plan, put that together, and move on. Let the county know we were serious about it.”

Ephraim added, “This will breed a lot of confusion, because some people will find their neighbors are in the city and they’re not. And even more so with insurance, when the county doesn’t have that agreement, that is going to affect their score.”

Throughout the discussion, city officials emphasized their concern for fairness and for Marianna’s taxpayers, who have been shouldering the rising costs of fire protection for both city and county residents. “We have to represent the interests of our citizens,” Ephraim said. “They’re paying ten times the amount for their fire safety than their neighbors just outside the city limits.”

Hamilton summed up the shared sentiment: “I can’t believe that we’ve been getting $52,000 for 15 years with no increase. Not right.”

Ephraim closed the workshop by reinforcing that point. “It’s not fair for the citizens of Marianna to keep bearing this burden. We’ve done our part. We’ve raised assessments, upgraded equipment, and kept our readiness level. But a partnership requires both sides to contribute.”