Chatham County drops appeal of fire fee ruling, clearing way for refunds

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Chatham County property owners could eventually see some money back after the Georgia Supreme Court ruled the county’s unincorporated fire fee unconstitutional.The county charged the fee to unincorporated residents to fund fire and emergency services between 2022 and 2024.Official reacts to rulingSen. Ben Watson, District 1, said the county is required to return the money.“They’re required to give the money back, right? I mean, that was theft by taking, so to speak. It was inappropriate from the get-go. You would want to get your money back and then to do it appropriately.”County drops appealCounty commissioners initially planned to appeal the decision but have decided to drop the appeal.Commissioner Brian Hussey said dropping the appeal allows the county to avoid hundreds of thousands of dollars in monthly interest. He said it also clears the way to refund roughly $35 million to residents.“If you go through the appeal process, then the state is going to start ch