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Candia selectmen approve up to $120,000 for fire station repairs; measure passes 4-1
Summary
The Candia Board of Selectmen voted 4-1 to allow the Fire Department to use up to 25% (about $120,000) of the Fire Station and Grounds Capital Reserve Fund for repairs and policy-driven improvements, with Selectman Susan Young dissenting.
The Candia Board of Selectmen on June 22 authorized Fire Chief Michael Kelley to use up to 25% of the Fire Station and Grounds Capital Reserve Fund—about $120,000—for a series of station repairs and policy improvements.
Chief Kelley told the board he has spent six months evaluating station policies and infrastructure and recommended prioritizing repairs to the existing facility rather than pursuing a new, multi‑million‑dollar safety complex in the near term. "I am realistic that the economy right now is probably not going to vote for a multi‑million dollar Safety Complex," Kelley said, and recommended focusing on fixing what the department currently has.
Selectman Stephanie Helmig moved to approve the request; Selectman Patrick Moran seconded. The motion carried 4-1, with Selectman Susan Young the lone no vote. Selectman Boyd Chivers asked whether prior town purchases of land for a future Safety Complex meant the town had abandoned that idea; Kelley said the town still owns the land but that construction is unlikely in the near future.
Kelley also said he hopes the department’s budget will be balanced at year-end. The board did not specify which projects will be funded from the approved amount beyond the materials provided with Kelley’s request; the motion authorized expenditure up to the stated percentage of the capital reserve fund.
The board’s approval authorizes limited capital spending now; any larger project or a plan to build a new safety complex would require separate proposals and voter approval if funded via a warrant article.
