A divided Walton County Commission voted 3-2 Tuesday to place Walton County Fire and Rescue under the command of the Sheriff’s Office.
The consolidation of the two public safety divisions was to take effect at 7 a.m. Wednesday, said Louis Svehla, the county’s public information manager. Commission Chairwoman Cecilia Jones sided with commissioners Melanie Nipper and Tony Anderson in favor of the merger, Svehla said. Commissioners Sara Comander and Bill Chapman opposed the proposal.
The vote followed a public hearing at which a report filed by a group commissioned to study the consolidation presented its findings, Svehla said.