Disposition of funds.

(a) The proceeds from the tax hereby authorized, less the actual cost of collection not to exceed five per centum shall be paid by the State Department of Revenue to the Dale County Commission, on a monthly basis. Five percent of the revenue shall be paid into the county general fund. The remaining funds shall be placed by the Dale County Commission into a special account to be used exclusively for fire protection purposes in Dale County. The Dale County Commission shall be authorized to enter into service contracts with individual fire departments or with associations which represent more than one fire department, or both, to provide fire protection to a part or all of the county. The compensation for the contracts shall be paid from funds in the special account. The Dale County Commission shall be authorized to develop certain standards and criteria which shall be met by all fire departments with which it enters into contract.

(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the contractual agreements shall be considered as a contract between the county and an independent contractor. It is the further intent of the Legislature that the fire departments shall not be considered as employees, servants, or agents of the county and the members of the Dale County Commission and the employees of the county shall not be liable in either their official capacity or in a private capacity for the actions of the fire departments or with the association, or both.

(Act 86-695, 1st Sp. Sess, p. 100, §6; Act 89-989, 1st Sp. Sess., p. 34, §1.)