SALISBURY — Despite apparent positive inroads over the course of the last month, the ongoing dispute between Salisbury and Wicomico continued to simmer this week.
The city of Salisbury this spring warned Wicomico County if an agreement could not be soon reached on an equitable cost-sharing fire service agreement between the two jurisdictions, the city would be forced to suspend fire and emergency services to the at-large areas of the county outside city limits. Salisbury officials have contended the city responds to nearly 63 percent of the total fire calls in the county and roughly 67 percent of all EMS calls in the county. In addition, the city reportedly serves about 56 percent of the entire county population and 58 percent of the county’s assessed property valuation. Despite those numbers, Salisbury received only 24 percent of Wicomico’s total funding for fire and emergency services in 2014.
Last week, Wicomico County Executive Bob Culver issued an ultimatum of sorts to Mayor Jim Ireton and Salisbury, setting a deadline for last Friday for the city’s decision on whether to pull fire and emergency services from the county at-large beginning in July if a fire service agreement was not reached. In a letter to Culver late last week, Ireton appeared to back off from the July deadline for pulling emergency service as the two sides continued to work toward an amicable agreement. However, Ireton said the ultimatum could return if an agreement is not reached.
In the letter dated last Thursday, one day before Culver’s deadline for a decision by the city, Ireton wrote, “I am writing to let you know at this point in time, I am removing the ‘nuclear’ option of enforcing a mandate for fire trucks and ambulances to now leave city limits. I am, however, reserving the right to employ this option again, whether there is a date attached to it or not. In addition, I would like to be supplied with the next six meeting dates and a list of possible auditors that will be revising the supplied data. Memo Diricker has offered to have his BEACON group review the data and give us a non-biased analysis.”
Culver took exception to the latter part in which Ireton reserved the right to implement the proposed cutback of services to the county in the future.
“I cannot in good conscience allow such a threat to public safety to stand,” Culver said this week. “I am committed to continue earnest discussions with regards to a new fire service agreement However, I will not do so under a threat of cessation of services by the city’s mayor.”