The future of an Owego fire district is the topic on the table for the Village Board in Owego. Pictured, the Owego Fire station on North Avenue will serve as a voting location in March if a referendum to abolish the district and reform as a new district is placed on the ballot. An upcoming meeting of the Village Board on Jan. 6 at 7 p.m. is planned to continue talks and for a vote by local lawmakers.
Most controversial in the Village of Owego lately are talks by lawmakers on the fate of the Owego Fire Department, and whether it will remain under the village umbrella or be formed into its own district.
On Monday evening, Village officials met to discuss two resolutions, with the first being the formation of a new fire district and the second being the abolishment of the current district. These resolutions will be decided upon during a special meeting planned for Jan. 6, at 7 p.m. in the County office building’s Hubbard Auditorium.
If the resolution for a new fire district is approved, it will be placed on the ballot during the March 15 Village elections as a referendum – allowing residents to decide.
According to Mayor Kevin Millar, if the fire district breaks away and forms its own district, the five commissioners would be able to set their own budget that would fall on the burden of local taxpayers.
“I am not in favor of this option,” said Mayor Millar on Tuesday. “If we do this, we lose control of managing the tax burden to local residents,” Millar added.
Millar noted that if the Owego Fire Departments forms their own district, then any tax would be voted on at the annual meeting of the commissioners, held each year on the second Tuesday in December. If the departments remain under the Village government, they would continue to get funding through taxes already collected and disbursed accordingly.
