DALTON, Ga. — Half of the Dalton Fire Department sat in on a City Council meeting recently, filling the seats of City Hall because of concern about mergers with the county.

“It’s just an uncertain time,” Dalton Fire Chief Barry Gober said.

Mayor David Pennington has argued that merging some city and county departments could cut costs. While the mayor’s efforts have focused on public works, a recent comment in the local newspaper sparked firefighters’ concern.

Mr. Pennington was quoted in The Daily Citizen saying, “There’s no reason the fire departments couldn’t be combined.”

But at Monday’s council meeting, Alderman Charlie Bethel tried to allay fears of an impending merger.

“I don’t want anybody to think that we’re actively talking about that merger,” Mr. Bethel said about fire services.

Chief Gober and Whitfield Fire Department Chief Carl Collins said they haven’t been consulted about combining departments.

“There has not been anybody at the decision-making level talk to me at all about any kind of merging,” Chief Collins said. But, he added, “I’ve heard some people make comments on it.”

Mergers have been a hot topic since Mr. Pennington’s unsuccessful effort May 5 to combine the county and city public works departments.

The city voted for a merger, while Whitfield County commissioners chose to study the issue.

“We need to quantify what is the result from consolidation,” Commission Chairman Brian Anderson said.

Mr. Pennington also pledged to bid out roads projects to private contractors — potentially cutting 30 city jobs.

The mayor denies “active plans” to merge the fire departments, or police services for that matter, but he said the budgets need to be re-evaluated. Budgets for public safety and public works have jumped in recent years, he said, while city revenue has remained virtually stagnant.

The city has thus far used increased funds from Dalton Utilities to make up the difference, the mayor said. But, he predicted the struggling carpet industry will result in reduced utility revenues.

“This is a train wreck,” he said. “When your revenues are going down and your expenses are going up, something has got to give.”

Asked if he plans to lay off public safety workers, Mr. Pennington responded, “The budget cycle is coming up.”

BUDGET CHANGES, from 2005 to 2008

Category 2005 2008

City revenues $23.5 million $23.57 million

Fire department $5.8 million $7.3 million

Utility transfer $7.8 million $9 million

Source: City administrator, city financial officer