Rockland Voters Reject Fire Station and Ladder Truck Proposals at Annual Town Election

Both ballot questions fail as Childs and O'Donnell secure Select Board seats in closely watched race

ROCKLAND - April 12 - Rockland voters have rejected two fire department funding proposals while electing Lori Childs and Steven G. O'Donnell Jr. to the Select Board in Saturday's annual town election.

Question 1, which sought $2 million for a new ladder truck to replace the department's 1999 model, failed with 906 yes votes to 985 no votes. Question 2, which would have excluded the building debt from the Proposition 2½ limitations to fund a new $26.1 million fire station on Church Street, was also defeated with 1,013 no votes to 872 yes votes.

In the Select Board race, incumbent Lori Childs (906 votes) and Steven G. O'Donnell Jr. (986 votes) secured the two available seats, defeating challengers Mary Parsons (806 votes) and Jacqueline Tieso (738 votes).

The election results mark the second time in two years that Rockland voters have turned down a fire station proposal. The previous plan, rejected in 2023, carried a $36 million price tag for a 33,000-square-foot facility.

Fire Chief Scott Duffey had presented a scaled-down fire station proposal in response to previous voter concerns about cost and size. The revised plan reduced the building's footprint by 22% to 25,000 square feet and lowered the cost by approximately $10 million from the original proposal.

"Two years ago, we came before the town for a new fire station, and that was voted down," Duffey explained during a recent informational meeting. "Nobody said we didn't need a new fire station. The problems exist. But the big concerns were that we came with a fire station that was too big for the town of Rockland and it was too expensive."

The current fire station, built in 1939 as a WPA project with federal grant funds and expanded in 1978, faces numerous challenges according to department officials. These include inadequate space for modern fire apparatus, poor separation between living quarters and vehicle bays, and insufficient decontamination facilities.

Lieutenant Charlie Williams, a member of the Fire Station Building Committee, highlighted health and safety concerns at the existing facility during the informational session.

"You can walk in that station many times and you can run your hand on a table and you'll come off with diesel dust," Williams said, noting that firefighters eat and work in areas directly adjacent to where vehicles are stored.

The proposed new station would have featured separate "hot," "warm," and "cold" zones to prevent cross-contamination between firefighting equipment and living spaces.

For the average Rockland home valued at $517,355, the fire station would have added approximately $223 annually to property tax bills for 30 years, according to Town Administrator Doug Lapp.

The ladder truck proposal sought to replace aging equipment that fire officials say is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain. Chief Duffey noted that during a recent service appointment, mechanics couldn't complete repairs because a needed part is no longer manufactured for the 25-year-old vehicle.

"In order to purchase a truck, it's 48 to 50 month build time for a truck," Duffey said, explaining the urgency of the request. "It's two and a half years for a regular fire engine, four to four and a half years for a ladder truck."

The ladder truck would have cost the average homeowner approximately $300 in additional taxes for a single year.

Other election results include:

- Kevin Henderson won an uncontested race for reelection as Town Moderator with 1,438 votes

- Michelle Kennedy secured reelection to the Board of Health with 1,422 votes

- Dianne Molineaux won another term as Board of Assessors with 1,375 votes

- Dorothy Murray was elected to the Housing Authority with 1,355 votes

- Janet Cann and Carol Mahoney held their Library Trustee positions with 1,403 and 1,290 votes respectively

- David Taylor was reelected as Highway Superintendent with 1,482 votes

- Peter Ewell defeated incumbent Richard Furlong for Park Commissioner, 1,239 votes to 508

- Emily Davidson and Melissa Mauro-Small won reelection to the School Committee with 1,294 and 1,209 votes respectively

The fire department proposals required approval both at the ballot box and at the upcoming town meeting scheduled for May 5. Despite the ballot defeat, the articles could still be presented at town meeting.

If the proposals are passed at town meeting but failed at the ballot, the Select Board could theoretically call a special election to give voters another opportunity to consider the measures.

The election saw strong turnout relative to recent annual town elections.