North Hornell voters rejected a referendum that would have authorized the Steuben County, New York, village to buy a Spartan FC-94 rescue-pumper for the volunteer fire department for $683,000, eveningtribune.com reported.
The results of the referendum, held Monday, Jan. 6, were 111 “no” votes to 56 “yes” votes.
The department was seeking to replace its 23-year-old Engine 85 pumper. Village officials said the pumper has incurred nearly $40,000 in repairs over the last few years. And Engine 85 is in line for an additional $53,000 to have its pump system rebuilt to keep the vehicle in service, the report said.
If the referendum had passed it would have triggered the sale of up to $648,000 in bonds to finance the rig, according to the report. The village also planned to use $35,000 from reserves for the new pumper, the report said.
With the proposition going down, the path forward is unclear, according to a North Hornell village official.
