Fiery words flew at the Chiefland City Commission's Monday meeting leading Commissioner Frank Buie to ask at the end of the meeting if the discussion was “unprofessional.”

“It didn't sound very professional tonight,” he said. “Did it sound professional Mr. Mayor?”

Mayor Teal Pomeroy agreed it did not.

For the third time in six weeks the commission and Fire Chief John Ward  wrangled over money he has set aside to purchase equipment.

Ward has set aside $58,827 for his department and $27,332 for the Fowlers Bluff Volunteer Fire Department which he oversees under a contract between that community, the city and the Levy County Board of Commissioners.

The discussion got off to a heated start after the Fowlers Bluff VFD board sent a letter to city officials saying that if the city did not return money the VFD board felt it was owed, it was prepared to take legal action.

Dr. Bob Mount, representing the VFD board said at an earlier meeting the contract called for Chiefland to be paid $25,454 to provide services and they wanted the difference between that money and what the county has provided, such as the $37,080 being paid this year, and the $36,000 paid the year before.

“Shame on us. We didn't read the contract very well,” Mount said as he pressed his case for the money. “We feel $22,172 is what we're entitled to.”

Chiefland City Attorney Norm Fugate said the city is not under a legal requirement to return the money to Fowlers Bluff because the payment was for services, not individual calls answered. He said the Chiefland department stood ready 24/7 to answer fire calls. He also said the letter could hamper negotiations to replace the expired contract.

“It's pretty hard to move into that with that threat of legal actions,” he said.

Mayor Teal Pomeroy, who has been firm that the set aside capital money should be used to balance the city budget, said the city did not need a contract to provide service to Fowlers Bluff.

“I have no no problem with us going down there on calls for free,” Pomeroy said.

As the discussion wore on and tempers stretched, a comment by Fugate that “I don't know that the fire chief is wanting to increase his budget,” drew a heated response from Ward who denied it. Fugate went on to say he was not faulting the fire chief.

Pomeroy said the contract did not address the issue of buying equipment or giving ownership to Fowlers Bluff, nor did it address the issue of a refund going back a couple of years.

“I feel like I'm fighting for the City of Chiefland,” Pomeroy said, adding that he sees a time in the future when the city will be approached by Otter Creek and Fanning Springs to provide fire service.

Vice Mayor Theresa Barron, who oversees the fire department, said she saw no reason to fight with Fowlers Bluff. “We entered into the contract because people needed it.” She also mentioned that the city saw the contract as a way to build the city's fire department.

She proposed the compromise that eventually cooled the rhetoric: Paying Fowlers Bluff the  $14,331.99 that Ward did not spend in this year's budget.

Commissioner Rollin Hudson also proposed taking the money off future contract payments.

“The money's not there this year,” Pomeroy said. “We're going to have to be going into the savings account.”

Barron explained to Pomeroy that the money was unspent funds. “It's money in the 2008-09 budget, like that $50,000 was approved for the chief (two) weeks ago is here.”

Ward told the mayor,  “It's just like you bought grass for the field at Strickland park that wasn't in the budget, you bought lights for the skate park that wasn't in the budget, you allowed the (police) chief to buy a new vehicle that wasn't in the budget, you bought a mower in the last meeting that wasn't in the budget.”

Ward said because he spent wisely and saved money he was being penalized, but he said he was learning. “So I'll just spend all the money in my budget. I just squander all the taxpayers money. That's what you want for me to spend it all.”

Commissioner Sammy Cason tried damming the flow of tempers, “John you're speaking out of frustration. Maybe we need to start from scratch.”

He assured Mount the city would be there as needed and asked who would be buying the equipment if the money was handed over to Fowlers Bluff. Mount said it would be Ward.

“We don't do things like you do,” Mount said. “We put money aside. We don't go down to Drummond Bank and finance 100 percent. If you all are taking all the money and don't leave nothing to us, how are we going to buy that stuff.”

Barron's motion, seconded by Hudson, to refund the 14,331.99 from this year's capital savings to Fowlers Bluff passed 3-2. Pomeroy and Cason dissented.

    In a later vote on the Chiefland Fire Department's capital fund, Barron's motion, seconded by Buie, passed 4-1 with Pomeroy dissenting.

In other business the commission:

• Decided to table discussion of a proposed Landscaping and Tree Protection ordinance approved by the City Planning Board so commissioners could study it.

• Approved raising the business tax receipt license fees by the three percent allowed by state law. It is the first such increase in at least 10 years according to Planning Director Bill Hammond. The vote was 4-1 with Pomeroy dissenting. Increases in rental and miscellaneous fees, and building and zoning fees were tabled.