Voters in Mohawk were given the chance on whether or not to bond for a ladder truck during a special vote Tuesday. In a landslide, residents said no to taking on more debt.
The results were 336, no, and 162, yes, almost 2 to 1 against the ladder truck.
Voters were specifically voting on a bond resolution the Mohawk Village Board of Trustees passed on July 14 authorizing, subject to permissive referendum, the acquisition of a quint aerial truck for the village at a maximum estimated cost of $500,000 and authorizing the issuance of $500,000 bonds to pay the costs.
The resolution states the usefulness life of the truck is probably 20 years.
Participating residents registered their votes at Mohawk’s village offices on Tuesday for a variety of reasons, both for and against the purchase of a ladder truck for the Mohawk Volunteer Fire Department.
The department is currently without a ladder truck.
Some of the reasons for voting indicated by voters ranged from the fire department’s need to have an initial attack vehicle to not wanting to have their taxes raised.
“I think (the vote) is important,” said Garth McAllister after exiting the voting area. “Any vote for increased taxes is important.”
A group of Mohawk residents, calling themselves the Mohawk Citizens for Open Government, collected 481 signatures to bring the resolution to a public vote. The group needed 335 votes, or 20 percent of the village population, to bring the resolution to a public vote.
The group believed now is the time to look into consolidating the fire department with other departments and the village is already facing too much debt.
Proponents for the fire department believed the truck is necessary for the safety of firefighters, residents and structures in the village.
Among the village’s other options is to enter into an agreement with the village of Ilion to share Ilion’s ladder truck for $12,000 a year.