Public hearing set for April 24 for joint fire district serving Albion and Gaines

Photos by Tom Rivers: The Albion fire hall on North Platt Street is shown on Sunday during an open house and recruitment effort for the Albion Fire Department.

ALBION – The Albion and Gaines community is moving towards a new joint fire district that would have its own fire commissioners, and own budget and taxing authority.

There will be a public hearing at 6 p.m. on April 24 at the LGI room in the high school for the community to hear details about the district and to ask questions.

The Albion Town Board, Gaines Town Board and Albion Village Board held a joint meeting on March 27 at the Gaines Town Hall. The three boards all voted in favor of establishing the joint fire district.

The fire department’s budget is currently part of the Albion village budget, with the Village Board functioning as the commissioners overseeing the fire department budget. The two towns currently contract with the village for fire protection. In 2024, Gaines will pay $116,390 and the Town of Albion will pay $115,362.

Albion village officials have long felt the village bears an undue financial cost for the fire department budget. With the joint fire district, the costs will be based on the taxable values of each municipality, which village officials see as a better way to fund the department, especially with new fire truck purchases in the near future, including a ladder truck.

The joint fire district should also better identify the true costs of providing fire protection in the community by taking the department out of the village budget.

Fire Chief Jeremy Graham and Deputy John Papponetti both will give presentations during the public hearing on April 24.

Graham said he favors the joint district. Local residents will have a bigger voice in the fire service by electing commissioners and voting on any bonding for trucks and other equipment.

“The taxpayers will have a say,” Graham said. “They will have a vote.”

Holley and Lyndonville both recently moved the fire department out of the village budget and into their own fire districts. That lowered the village taxes, but there is a new fire district tax in January.

The Albion Fire Department had activities for children during the open house on Sunday, including giveaways of plastic firefighter helmets.