Chatham County commissioners are ending another part of their legal fight over the county’s fire fee, a decision county leaders say could save taxpayers more than $1 million in interest. During a special meeting Monday morning, commissioners voted to dismiss the county’s request for the Georgia Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling that the fire fee was illegal. The county had asked the high court to reconsider the decision, but commissioners are no longer pursuing that challenge. District 7 Commissioner Dean Kicklighter said the move is intended to save taxpayers money. “[It's] a motion to actually save the taxpayers of the unincorporated area over $1 million in interest,” Kicklighter said. County Attorney R. Johnathan Hart said dismissing the request will allow the county to move forward with the settlement process tied to the judgment. “It frees up the ability to move the settlement phase of this judgment along. And we have interest running on the judgment. And hopefully if we do it sooner, we pay less interest,” Hart said. The Georgia Supreme Court previously upheld a ruling that found the county’s fire fee illegal. That decision could leave the county responsible for nearly $30 million in refunds to property owners who paid the fee, including interest. While commissioners’ vote ends this particular legal challenge, it does not erase the county’s financial obligation tied to the judgment. The county still must work through the settlement and refund process. WJCL 22 News…
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