(a) The proceeds from the tax hereby authorized, less theactual cost of collection not to exceed five per centum shall be paid by the state Departmentof Revenue to the Pike County Commission, on a monthly basis. One percent of the revenueshall be paid into the county general fund. Theremaining funds shall be placed by the Pike County Commission into a specialaccount to be used exclusivelyfor county fire protection purposes. Thecounty commission shall be authorized to enter into service contracts withindividual paid and volunteer fire departments in consultation with the PikeCounty Firefighters Association to provide fire protection to all of thecounty. The compensation for thecontracts shall be paid from funds in the special account. The county commission shall be authorizedto develop certain standards and criteria which shall be met by all paid andvolunteer fire departments with which it enters into contract.(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the contractual agreementsshall be considered as a contract between the county and an independentcontractor. epartments with which it enters into contract.(b) It is the intent of the Legislature that the contractual agreementsshall be considered as a contract between the county and an independentcontractor. It is the furtherintent of the Legislature that the paid and volunteer fire departments shall not be considered as employees,servants, or agents of the county and the members of the county commission andthe employees of the county shall not be liable in either their officialcapacity or in a private capacity for the actions of the paid and volunteerfire departments.(Act 89–496, p. 1030, § 4.)
Alabama Legal Code