The city of Salisbury, Maryland has not had an agreement in place with its fire companies since 2010, although the firefighters have continued to respond to calls in the city.  Salisbury officials have officially requested that Wicomico County officials and representatives of the fire companies sit down at the mediation table to negotiate new agreements.

At issue is the shortfall between the $1 million that Salisbury receives from Wicomico County for the funding of its fire companies and the $2.3 million actual cost of the fire service.  Salisbury officials have stated that they cannot continue to make up the funding difference and that the County simply must increase its funding allowance.  The expectation in 2010 was that by refusing to fund the fire companies, the County would be forced to negotiate, but this did not occur.

The Mayor of Salisbury, Jim Ireton, has already announced a negotiation team which includes officials from the fire companies.  The team includes the Fire Chief and Deputy Chief, the City Council Vice President, and a union representative.  The Mayor has stated that the city will not pursue or agree to any settlement that adversely affects the fire companies in any way, but that he considers the responsibility for this to be on the County’s shoulders.  The County, for its part, has yet responded to the mediation request or announced a negotiating team of its own, leaving the success of the mediation request hanging in uncertainty, although political expediency would seem to favor a positive response.