Brunswick may cut police, fire departments because of budget crunch

BRUNSWICK - In response to a tight budget, Brunswick Mayor Brad Brown has proposed eliminating the police and fire departments and turning over those duties to Glynn County. <br> <br> The City Commission is considering a new $13 million city budget that raises property taxes by 18 percent. But a vote on that budget has been delayed by residents angry at what they call extravagant city spending. <br> <br> The mayor&#39;s plan would eliminate property taxes altogether. Cutting the police and fire departments would save an estimated $6.2 million, Brown said. <br> <br> Some Glynn County officials have said they would support merging the city and county departments, but only if the county were to get more of the local 1-cent sales tax. <br> <br> Brown said he hopes to strike a deal with county officials in time for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.