Full Service City (some areas excluded)

Houses on Kipling Way in Columbia stand on a dividing line between jurisdictions of the city fire department and the county fire district. Houses on the left of the photo are under the county's protection while houses on the right are under the city's protection.   ¦  Mike Pittman

COLUMBIA — It was a low-profile agreement hammered out by Columbia's city manager and two fire chiefs nearly 15 years ago.

At the time, most residents didn’t know about it. City firefighters learned about it from news reports after it was already a legal contract.

Signed and dated Nov. 22, 1994, the city’s territorial agreement allowed the Boone County Fire Protection District to retain its tax base by giving it responsibility for areas annexed by the city since 1994.

The agreement was also intended to keep annexation moving in an orderly fashion and prevent duplication of fire and emergency services.

Now, the city is backing away from the territorial agreement.

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