Committee to review potential Sandy Creek fire district

SANDY CREEK — Volunteers from the town and village of Sandy Creek and representatives from the Sandy Creek Volunteer Fire Department will form an informal work group to determine the impact of a proposed combined fire district.

Operated by five fire commissioners, the district would serve as a separate municipal entity from the town. While the town and village would appoint the first set of commissioners, the positions eventually would go to public vote.

The proposed fire district will not include the Lacona Volunteer Fire Department.

The decision to create a study committee comes after a meeting Tuesday that revealed few certainties on the financial aspects of the project.

Village of Sandy Creek Deputy Mayor Steven J. Washburn showed the Town Council a map of the proposed district’s coverage area, which would keep the boundaries now in place.

“Nothing would change,” Mr. Washburn said. Some concerns were raised that the boundaries could result in two separate tax rates for town residents based on which fire department area they live in.

Mr. Washburn said residents of the village of Sandy Creek would see their tax rate drop about $2 as a result of the proposed fire district, estimating a drop from about $3.03 to $1.03 per $1,000 of assessed property value. He was less specific about the tax impact on the town outside of the village, but after the meeting he said he could foresee the town’s tax rate staying about the same.

Eugene J. Langone Jr., the village’s attorney, stressed the need for specific financial figures, which could then be turned into a proposal to be voted on. Other challenges for a new district would be the possibility of transferring ownership of fire equipment to the district.