Two fire district mergers were on the agenda at last Thursday’s meeting of the Saylesville Fire District, whose board of wardens discussed the status of the department’s recent merger with Lonsdale, while raising the topic of combining forces with Albion.
Representatives from both Saylesville and Albion Fire Districts, including their respective chiefs and boards of wardens, have been meeting for several months to explore whether consolidating the two districts is feasible. If all goes well in negotiations, they hope to ask the General Assembly for permission to merge in January 2019.
After last week’s meeting, Saylesville Fire Chief Robert Fisher echoed the sentiments of Albion Chief Richard Andrews, telling The Breeze that merging the two districts makes the most sense because they’re more alike than different. A consolidation would not result in any layoffs, both chiefs said.
“Both districts are alike in many, many ways,” Fisher said. “Merging would provide both districts with a larger tax base, which should stabilize the tax rate. As increases would be spread across a larger district, impact would not be as great on the ratepayer.”