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Deliberative session: Swanzey voters advance $3.5M fire station bond, approve West Swanzey water purchase plan and several capital and budget articles
Summary
Voters at the Town of Swanzey’s deliberative session approved a $3.5 million plan for a new fire station and advanced multiple capital, water and budget articles — including a plan to acquire the West Swanzey Water Company and a study of a second polling location — to the official ballot for the March 11 town election.
The Town of Swanzey held its deliberative session under Moderator Bruce Capro, where voters debated and advanced a slate of warrant articles that will appear on the official ballot at the March 11 town election. Article 4, a proposal for a $3,500,000 fire station project using a $2,500,000 bond, was presented, debated and moved; after public comment the moderator called the voice vote and the article was approved to move forward. Speakers for and against the proposal raised concerns about location, cost and public safety; supporters argued replacement of the aging Station No. 2 is needed to protect firefighters and maintain response capability.
Article 5, a request to accept a $6,400,000 low‑interest loan with 40% principal forgiveness to purchase and improve the West Swanzey Water Company, was explained to voters as a chance to bring the private system into municipal ownership and access grant and forgivable funding to add storage and improve fire flows. A placeholder purchase price of $600,000 was discussed and characterized in the meeting as a negotiable figure; presenters said the expected long‑term cost would be borne by water users, not by the general taxpayer base. Article 12 would, if approved by voters, authorize the Select Board to begin the statutory process under RSA 38:4 to purchase the company; Article 12 passed as presented.
Other warrant business included Article 6, a $100,000 forgivable loan for a stormwater capital improvement plan (presenter said 100% principal forgiveness makes budget impact minimal); Article 7, the town operating budget (presented with line‑item changes reflecting vacant positions and employee costs); and Articles 8 and 9, appropriations to capital reserve and expendable trust funds. Article 8 included an amendment to remove a $75,000 appropriation for the Goldenrod Grange Hall; the amendment passed in a standing count (reported in the meeting as 31–29) and Article 8 then advanced as amended.
Article 10 was presented to continue savings into the fire station capital reserve should the bond not pass; Article 11 proposed creating an infrastructure assessment district for West Swanzey to fund water/sewer improvements without raising taxes on properties outside the district. Article 13 would place $100,000 into an ambulance expendable trust fund in anticipation of higher ambulance contract costs after the current contract ends June 30, 2026. Article 14 would reauthorize the town’s commercial and industrial tax exemption program adopted in 2020.
Two petition articles were on the warrant. Article 15, a petition to increase the Select Board from three to five members effective 2026, drew extended public comment and will appear on the official ballot as written. Article 16, a petition to add a second polling place, was amended on the floor to ask the town to study adding a second polling location at Whitcomb Hall (17 Main Street) for all local and federal voting; the amended petition passed and will appear on the ballot in that amended form.
When votes were taken at the close of debate, the moderator declared the results for each article as moved on the floor. The meeting recessed to March 11 for final balloting.
