Taxpayers to Decide Fate of Quint Fire Truck

According to Glasgow Mayor Becky Erickson, city residents will be receiving a notice of intent to form a special improvement district for the purpose of buying a used Quint pumper/ladder truck needed for fire protection.

“A total of 1,250 letters were sent to city taxpayers,” Erickson explains, “requesting their approval or disapproval of the purchase of a used Quint platform fire fighting apparatus. An annual estimated tax amount spreadsheet based on the square footage of property and a protest form is also included in the mailing.”

Erickson and other city officials have stressed the fact that insurance premiums linked to fire preparedness ratings citywide will go up if our fire rating is compromised, potentially costing residents considerably if measures to purchase the proposed vehicle are unsuccessful.

In plain terms: If we buy the Quint truck, our insurance premiums will remain the same (with standard increases). If taxpayers say no to the purchase, premiums will increase exponentially. The insurance assessment process is complex and varies depending on residents’ specific providers, but the most pressing question longterm seems to be whether or not we end up with a truck and the protection it would afford.

Glasgow Fire Chief Brandon Brunelle explains that the special district budget, “allows us to meet the requirement to maintain the current fire rating which affects your insurance costs.” For more on the fire rating process and other concerns, see “The Case for the Truck” on Page 2A.

The cost of a used Quint pumper truck with ladder is estimated at $500,000.

“The community of Glasgow has been kind in past years,” says the mayor, “donating the amount of $150,000 to go towards a truck. So the remaining $350,000 would be the loan amount assessed against homeowners’ properties.”

Erickson explains the notice of intent form and community input process as follows: “The fire truck assessment is figured at 20 cents per 100 square feet. If a homeowner, for example, owns three lots, they will have three votes for or against forming the special district. Not returning the enclosed form will be a vote for creating the district.”

Any homeowner with property to be assessed within the proposed district may object by filing a written protest within 15 days of the first publication of the notice. Written protests will need to be received by the city office by August 26, 2015, at 5 p.m.

Erickson would like to remind the public that they will have an opportunity to address the city council at City Hall on September 8 at 5:30 p.m.