Maryville redevelopment authority approves $33 million bond plan to fund South Side fire station, road work

The Maryville Redevelopment Authority voted 3-0 on May 27 to approve Resolution 25-01, authorizing the authority to issue or lease bonds of roughly $33,000,000 to purchase town roads and fund construction of a relocated South Side fire station, repaving and other improvements to Wickham Street.

Bond counsel Adam Sturwald, identifying himself as representing Burns of Thorberg, said the structure is that "the redevelopment authority will lease or issue bonds for roughly 33,000,000, then you will buy roads from the town for that same 33,000,000, and then the town will then use that money for a South Side fire station, repaving of roads, and all the improvements to Wickham Street." Sturwald said the bonds would be secured by a special benefits tax and are anticipated to be paid with debt service from the town's TIF (tax increment financing) allocation area.

The resolution passed after a motion by Missus Uzelak and a second by Vice President Neal. During a roll call, Marsh and Sean Pettit voted yes and the presiding president also voted yes; the meeting record states "Motion carries 3 to nothing."

Town Manager Michael Griffin said the planned South Side station is not an additional station but a replacement and relocation of the existing Station 73. "It's really not an additional station adding to the total. It's replacing and relocating and updating an existing station that will then be decommissioned," Griffin said. He said Chief Yurga and Deputy Chief Lilly selected the site to improve response times and potentially lower insurance costs via an Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating change.

Griffin told the authority that a local property owner is negotiating a donation of about six acres for the new station, which would mean the town would pay only for building construction if the donation is completed. He summarized the planned staffing as including "one full time person on station," an emergency rescue unit at the site and use of part-time personnel until additional full-time hires are possible.

Members raised financing and staffing risks. One member asked whether the town could staff an additional facility; Griffin reiterated the station replaces an existing facility and said staffing will follow the fire territory board and town council decisions on staffing and disposal of the old station. Another member expressed concern about recent legislation affecting town revenues. The president said Senate Bill 1 (referred to in the meeting as SB1 and as Public Law 68-2025) "is only affecting the general fund," and that the TIF allocation area at issue "was in place as of 01/01/2025," which the president said should preserve increment collections established before that date.

The president also noted a Legislative Service Agency estimate that property tax-backed revenues could be down by about $830,000 in 2026, and he described plans to present policy choices to the town council to manage the near-term impact. Another member said they do not favor using TIF/allocation-area money for ongoing public safety salaries because of sunset risk and potential future budget shortfalls.

The authority's discussion included mutual-aid considerations with neighboring jurisdictions; Griffin said mutual aid remains available but cannot replace the town's obligation to staff stations because neighboring departments have primary duties to their own jurisdictions.

No amendments to Resolution 25-01 were recorded in the meeting transcript. Following the vote, the authority adjourned.