Appomattox supervisors forgive $225,000 of ladder-truck loan for volunteer fire department

Appomattox County supervisors voted to forgive $225,000 of the loan taken to purchase a new ladder truck, a move supporters said would shore up the volunteer fire department’s finances and protect its operational readiness. The request came during the July meeting after the fire chief explained the department had been unable to sell its older truck and that full loan payments would divert funds from day-to-day needs. The county’s fire chief, speaking to the board, said the sale of the department’s 2003 ladder truck produced no serious offers despite national advertising and local outreach. He said the department could cover the coming year’s payment but that doing so would “limit our ability to handle unexpected repairs or replace critical equipment when needed.” Fire department leaders emphasized the new ladder truck is “essential to our ability to serve this county safely and effectively,” and asked the board to consider forgiveness of all or part of the loan. Supervisor John Carter moved to forgive $225,000; the motion was seconded and approved by the board. Board members who spoke in favor framed the vote as support for volunteer firefighters and public safety. After the vote, county and fire leaders thanked the board. The approval was presented as a one-time financial relief for the apparatus purchase; the meeting record does not show further conditions attached to the forgiveness. No separate ordinance or statute was cited as requiring additional approval steps for this transfer of funds. The decision followed an extended presentation from fire leadership about the department’s staffing, equipment, and attempts to sell the old ladder truck. What happens next: county staff will implement the board’s direction to apply the forgiveness to the ladder-truck loan. The transcript does not include details on accounting entries or whether the forgiveness will be reported as an expense line item in a future budget amendment.