Loudon selectmen send $1.7 million ladder-truck bond to town meeting after tower goes out of service

LOUDON, N.H. — The Loudon Board of Selectmen voted Feb. 5 to place a $1.7 million warrant article on the March 15 town meeting ballot to buy an aerial ladder truck after officials described the department’s current tower truck as unreliable and out of service.

The article authorizes $1,700,000 for an aerial ladder truck: $1,300,000 to be financed by bonds and $400,000 to be withdrawn from the fire department equipment capital reserve fund. The warrant language also authorizes the selectmen to apply for federal, state or other aid and sets the first-year debt service payment at about $32,500. The article requires a three-fifths majority on the ballot.

Why it mattered: Fire and public-safety officials told selectmen the department’s only tower truck has recently failed — at one point refusing to start — leaving Loudon dependent on mutual-aid coverage from neighboring towns for elevated-rescue capability. Fire leaders told the board that long lead times and limited grant availability make purchasing a replacement now the most reliable option to maintain local service levels.

What selectmen will ask voters to approve: If approved at town meeting, the town would bond roughly $1.3 million and use $400,000 already held in a fire-equipment capital reserve fund. Officials presented an amortization estimate showing annual payments falling from roughly $169,000 in year two down to about $134,000 in the final year of a 10-year schedule; the board estimated the bond’s first-year tax impact at a few cents per $1,000 of assessed value and provided a year-by-year schedule to the public during the hearing.

What officials said: Fire Chief Blanchett told the board the department has tried in recent weeks to diagnose the tower’s mechanical problems; a vendor and outside mechanics worked multiple hours but the truck remained non-operational. Chief Blanchett said the town has pursued federal grant programs in past years but that criteria and scoring for the principal federal vehicle grant make funding uncertain for a rural, combination department.

Selectmen also noted that the New Hampshire Motor Speedway rejected a town request to share in the purchase; the speedway’s management responded they were not interested in contributing. Selectmen said outreach to other municipalities for shared purchasing was explored but would be time-consuming and unlikely to produce a timely cost-sharing agreement.

Next steps: The board voted unanimously to move the warrant article to the March 15 town meeting ballot. Voters will decide whether to approve the bond; selectmen said they will present the details again at town meeting and encouraged residents to attend and ask questions.

Ending: If voters approve the bond, officials said the town would proceed with ordering the replacement and continue to pursue any eligible outside funding.