SELKIRK—Selkirk Fire District residents said yes to a $4 million supplemental bond that will help fund the long-anticipated firehouse project they first approved in 2020.
The bond passed with 183 votes in favor and 123 against after residents hit the polls on Tuesday, Dec. 10
The vote secures the additional funding needed to proceed with constructing a new Station 1 headquarters on Route 9W, adjacent to the Becker School, as well as renovations to Station 2 in Glenmont.
These plans were initially approved in October 2020 with an $11.2 million bond, but rising costs due to inflation and project delays have brought the total estimated cost to $18 million.
According to a statement shared by officials on Monday, the fire district has saved approximately $3 million since the initial vote, reducing the additional funding needed to $4 million. Without the supplemental bond, the project would have been scaled back to fit within the original budget, potentially compromising the long-term functionality and design of the new facility.
Selkirk Fire District officials underlined the project’s importance, which has been in the works for eight years.
“The purpose of this project is to build something that will last for the next 50+ years,” stated Doug VanApeldoorn, a longtime member of the fire department and former fire commissioner. He shared that the approved bond will add approximately $50 annually to the property tax bill of a homeowner with a home valued at $360,000, or roughly $5 per month.
In addition to the bond vote, residents elected two members to the Board of Commissioners. Steven Hummel, Sr. was elected to a five-year term, and Andrew Hynes was elected to a one-year term.
