The cost of a new ladder truck could increase to between $30,000-$35,000 if it was held until November.
In July, Palmyra Council decided against holding a referendum for the purchase of a new ladder truck for the fire department. This process has been going on throughout 2017, and council has finally decided to move forward with this request.
The department’s current ladder truck, which has been in use since 1992, is well past the service timeline. According to Palmyra Fire Chief Richard Dreby, the department’s only ladder reached 25 years of service this year, five years past the 20-year timeline when the department has typically replaced its ladders per department policy and the recommendation of insurance underwriters. Dreby said in recent years, it has become more difficult for the department to find replacement parts for the ladder, which was custom built to fit the station’s door openings of 10 feet, 2 inches due to station’s prior use as an A&P Market.
“What we’re trying to do is stay in the system with the manufacturer that we’re used to dealing with and the people we have faith in to build the truck … cheapest is not always the best, but in this case we have experience with the manufacturer, ” Dreby said.
The cost of a new ladder truck is $1.033 million, but council is looking at cooperative purchasing opportunities. However, a recent problem has been the cost to replace parts on the 1992 ladder truck.
“The Fire Department has reported costs of approximately $20,000 over the past two years for repairs to the current ladder truck, with parts becoming more difficult to obtain,” Borough Administrator John Gural said.
Regardless the mechanism, however, the borough would finance the purchase over a term of approximately 15 years. In addition to the initial 5 percent cash down payment of $51,650, the cost to taxpayers would average approximately $88,240 annually, assuming a 4 percent interest rate.
Based on these assumptions, for the owner of a home assessed at $147,600 — the average assessment for a home in Palmyra for 2017 — the cost would be approximately $27.30 per year for the 15-year term.
Mayor Michelle Arnold said if council had to wait for a referendum during the Nov. 7 general election, the cost of a new truck would increase between $30,000-$35,000 due to a manufacturer’s increase.
“This is something we have been keeping an eye on, but it has never really been fully addressed,” Arnold said. “We cannot make the current truck last longer, so we have to be proactive with our decisions.”
The decision regarding the truck will now be introduced at the next Borough Council meeting on Aug. 7, while council continues to plan for the costs.
For more information regarding the Borough Council, or the Fire Department visit http://www.palmyrafire.org/ or http://boroughofpalmyra.com.
