Patagonia’s Town Council voted unanimously Wednesday, April 9 to hold a “study session” to review the Request for Proposal (RFP) for fire and emergency services for fiscal year 2025-6 that the Town sent to three local fire departments in February.
The study session will be held Wednesday, April 30 at 5pm in Council chambers at the Town Hall. The meeting will be open to the public, and all members of the public will be given the opportunity to speak. Patagonia Mayor Andy Wood stressed that the Town will be seeking “reasonable, proactive ideas,” saying she didn’t want the meeting “to be a shouting match.”
The 100-year-old, 39-member Patagonia Volunteer Fire & Rescue (PVFR) department to currently provides fire and emergency services to the Town under a one-year, $65,000 contract that ends on June 30.
Both PVFR and Sonoita-Elgin Fire District submitted proposals for the FY 2025-6 contract ahead of the March 30 deadline.
The February RFP was sent out by the Town without any public discussion or vote by the Town Council. Patagonia Town Manager Ron Robinson told the PRT that no public notice or deliberation was necessary as issuing the RFP was an “administrative act” by the Town.
For previous PRT coverage, including pertinent public documents, see “Town May Cut Ties With PVFR” (April 3, 2025).