The East Clinton Fire District on a recent public meeting laid out plans to build a new firehouse and asked voters to approve borrowing $4.5 million to complete the project.

Commissioner and active firefighter Steve Forsler opened the presentation by explaining the district’s role and financial situation: “We are the commissioners of the East Clinton Fire District,” he said, and later that the district “is faced with a challenge, of a facility that has reached the end of its useful life.” Forsler said the current station was built in 1957, is not handicapped accessible, lacks decontamination and training space, and cannot accommodate modern apparatus safely.

Why it matters: District leaders said the existing station’s physical limits affect safety, training and mutual-aid response. Forsler warned that inadequate facilities can raise insurance costs and reduce the district’s ability to deliver water and firefighting resources to incidents. He said the proposed building would be a functional, steel structure with larger bays and dedicated training and decontamination areas.

Details of the plan and finance: The commissioners presented a roughly $6 million construction estimate. Forsler said the district has about $500,000 in capital reserves, expects roughly $500,000 in grants and anticipates some value from selling the existing building, producing about $1.5 million in available cash; the district would therefore seek bonds for the remaining $4.5 million.

Beth Ferguson of Fiscal Advisors and Marketing, the district’s municipal adviser, explained legal and fiscal constraints and modeled tax impacts. “Bonds are the only allowable legal financing mechanism to finance a project such as this by a fire district,” Ferguson said. Using conservative assumptions (30-year bond, 5% interest in the illustration), she estimated annual debt service of about $293,000 and a tax impact of $4.48 per month for every $100,000 of assessed value. Ferguson noted current market rates were nearer 4.5% but used a 5% example to provide a cushion.

Commissioners also described steps already taken: a capital-equipment reserve (about $892,000 for trucks and ambulances, per the presentation), a repair reserve (about $42,000), and full funding of the district’s Length of Service Award Program (LOSAP). Forsler said LOSAP expense has been reduced and currently runs about $38,000 per year.

Operational context and alternatives: The presentation emphasized that East Clinton remains an all-volunteer department with high response reliability. Forsler said the district’s response rate since Jan. 1, 2022 through May 10 was 98.8% and that, for 2025 to date, the district had missed no calls. He said about 60% of district calls are emergency medical services (EMS) and 40% are fire-related. From Jan. 2022 through Aug. 2024 the district recorded 751 total calls, of which 601 were in-district; roughly 401 of those were within a three-mile radius of the station.

Forsler compared costs other nearby jurisdictions now bear for EMS: he said West Clinton pays about $300,000 annually to employ EMTs; the town of Stanford contracts ambulance service for about $750,000 a year; Pleasant Valley’s part-time paid coverage is about $500,000 per year; and Millbrook’s similar cost was cited at roughly $400,000. Those amounts, he said, exceed East Clinton’s entire current budget for EMS and fire combined.

Location, timeline and public process: Commissioners said they own a lot adjacent to the current station and presented site elevations and a conceptual site plan with three large bays, training space and parking. The board has scheduled the referendum for June 3 at Valley Community Church in Clinton Corners from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Forsler also announced a May 21 evening follow-up information session at the firehouse. The board said presentation materials and a recording will be posted on the East Clinton Fire District website and linked to YouTube.

Public comments and next steps: Howard Shapiro, a commissioner and local school board member, urged voters to consider the district’s fiscal record and to focus on a functional facility rather than a showpiece. Residents asked about alternatives such as renovating the current building; Forsler said architects reviewed that option and found rehabilitation would require tearing down much of the structure, offer little savings and be constrained by lack of property and right-of-way for expansion. He said the district will continue outreach and, if the referendum fails, the board intends to return with another vote.

Ending: If voters approve the bond on June 3, the district expects to proceed with municipal bond issuance and construction planning; timing for construction depends on the referendum result, planning approvals and bond market conditions. The district invited additional questions and said contact information for commissioners is on the East Clinton Fire District website.