BERNARDSTON — Residents will have the chance to weigh in on two debt exclusions at a special election on Monday, June 15, with one pertaining to the purchase of a $1.08 million Pierce fire engine, and the second for a $399,900 Western Star dump and plow truck.
Polls will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 38 Church St. Both of these requested purchases were approved by Annual Town Meeting voters, and require an affirmative vote at the ballot box before the town can proceed with the purchases, which would both replace existing equipment.
The votes are presented in two separate questions, meaning voters can vote for one purchase and not the other, if they so choose.
Fire Chief Peter Shedd explained on Thursday that the Pierce fire engine would replace the department’s existing Engine 2, which is a 2007 KME model that is experiencing operational issues, primarily due to corrosion of electrical equipment within the truck.
“We had a hard time passing inspection,” Shedd said about the current vehicle.
Additionally, this fire engine is the first one to respond to calls, and it went to 400 calls in 2025, according to Shedd. As call volumes are expected to continue to rise, he said, a new truck will be necessary.
Shedd said he feels optimistic about Monday’s vote on the Proposition 2½ debt exclusion.
“The town has always been very good to us,” Shedd said.
Shedd also acknowledged the cost of this request, noting that the department will be seeking a non-customized tanker that just comes “off the shelf” from Pierce, while still serving the intended purpose and keeping added costs of customizations off the taxpayer.
Notably, this fire truck purchase will be entirely financed by the town, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture grant the department received can only be used for improvements on the Fire Station itself, and cannot be used for a fire truck purchase, Town Coordinator Lou Bordeaux confirmed after speaking with a USDA representative.
Even so, Bordeaux said the town is in a good place financially to take on debt for the fire truck, as well as the $399,900 for the dump and plow truck, which would replace a 2006 International. He said that between the Selectboard and Finance Committee, the town has “hashed this out” in terms of the financial implications of the purchase.
As for the terms of these debt exclusions, Bordeaux said the town is waiting on the results of the special election before the time frame of each bond is set.
A copy of Monday’s special election warrant is available on the Bernardston website at townofbernardston.org/media/9616.
