Loudon residents voice opposition to new fire truck purchase

Loudon Fire Chief Thomas Blanchette made his pitch to residents for a $1.7 million bond on a new aerial ladder firetruck.

Loudon Fire Chief Thomas Blanchette made his pitch to residents for a $1.7 million bond on a new aerial ladder firetruck. Charlotte Matherly—Concord Monitor

Loudon resident Shawn Kitson said he wanted neighboring towns to contribute to the cost of the new firetruck, or share maintenance fees.

Loudon resident Shawn Kitson said he wanted neighboring towns to contribute to the cost of the new firetruck, or share maintenance fees. Charlotte Matherly / Monitor staff

Alicha Kingsbury (right) and other Loudon residents talk with Selectman Dwayne Gilman after the budget public hearing.

Alicha Kingsbury (right) and other Loudon residents talk with Selectman Dwayne Gilman after the budget public hearing. Charlotte Matherly—Concord Monitor

By CHARLOTTE MATHERLY

Monitor staff

Published: 01-16-2025 3:57 PM

Modified: 01-16-2025 5:17 PM


When a town’s only firetruck with an aerial ladder is 20 years old and on the fritz, towns or cities have to weigh the cost of buying a new one.

For Loudon, a proposed $1.7 million price tag felt too high.

At the town’s first budget public hearing this week, residents questioned whether officials had examined all other options – like buying a used truck, a different kind or even sharing the cost with neighboring towns. Most people appeared inclined to hit pause on the bond and have town officials explore alternatives.

“I think a year can benefit from that, to get these questions asked and exhaust all our resources before we just say, ‘Hey, town of Loudon, two million bucks. Pony it up,’” said resident Shawn Kitson.

Fire Chief Thomas Blanchette had proposed that the town enter a 10-year bond to pay for a new aerial ladder truck. That bond would increase the town’s tax rate by 25 cents in 2026 – for a $400,000 home, that works out to an extra $100 a year – then the tax impact would gradually decrease to 18 cents until it’s paid off after 2035. 

Blanchette said his maintenance budget is overextended due to repairs on the aging truck, which also take it out of service temporarily. Even if residents approve the bond at town meeting, he said, it’d take another two to three years for it to arrive. The ladder truck is one of several firetrucks the town owns.

He acknowledged the power lies with taxpayers but estimated that waiting another year could increase the cost by around 15%. He argued that approving the bond now would be the “prudent thing to do.”

“If you want us to be able to effectively do our job … you need a ladder truck,” Blanchette said.

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Residents like Alicha Kingsbury, however, are wary of overspending. In her view, the town has made some questionable spending choices in the past few years. For example, the town bought a boat a few years ago, and Kingsbury told the Monitor she didn’t see any record of needing a water rescue.

“If we had been saving on some of those frivolous items over the last several years, then we probably would have a little more money to put into that,” Kingsbury told the select board, “but we just keep taking money out of these capital accounts and replenishing it, and so here we are.”

What’s in the budget?

Loudon also unveiled its proposed operating budget for 2025-26, which includes an 8% increase of about $550,000. The total operating budget would be $6,998,369.

If residents approve that warrant article, their tax rate would be $9.61 – or $3,844 for a $400,000 home.

Residents spoke more in opposition to the new firetruck than they did to the budget increase, though many had questions about the ins and outs of town spending. 

Much of it comes from salary increases to employees like the town clerk, police officers and town board members.

Here are the most notable changes in the budget:

■41% decrease on elections (The previous budget was larger because 2024 was a presidential election year, with more local races, too.)

■6% increase in employee benefits, including Medicare and the state retirement system

■5% increase for the fire department, including $10,000 for truck maintenance

■10% increase for welfare

■16% increase on recreation, mainly on swim lesson wages and event supplies

■45% increase for patriotic expenses, including Old Home Day

Loudon voters will also decide whether to purchase body cameras for the Loudon Police Department. Residents would raise $27,639 through taxes, which a federal grant would then match.

The town will hold a second public hearing for its proposed budget on Feb. 5.

 

Charlotte Matherly is the statehouse reporter for the Concord Monitor and Monadnock Ledger-Transcript in partnership with Report for America. Follow her on X at @charmatherly, subscribe to her Capital Beat newsletter and send her an email at cmatherly@cmonitor.com.