La Palma Council Reaffirms Joining County Fire Agency

The City Council this week unanimously reaffirmed that the city will join in a new authority to govern the Orange County Fire Department.

A joint powers agreement will create a county fire authority with a board composed of representatives of county government and all 18 cities served by the County Fire Department. The authority is scheduled to be in operation by the end of this month.

La Palma’s City Council voted last year to join the authority. A second vote was required to reaffirm membership and to adopt the authority’s rules.

Mayor Wally D. Linn said the concept of the new fire authority is to “bring back more power and control to local communities.”

Officials in some cities, including Villa Park, have questioned whether the county’s bankruptcy would affect transfer of county money into the new fire authority.

But a memo given to the City Council members Tuesday night from City Manager Pamela Gibson said, “The county counsel and the county’s special legal counsel for its Chapter 9 (bankruptcy) proceedings have advised that the formation of the authority can proceed and is not subject to bankruptcy court proceedings.”