BOT rejects use of surplus to fund new fire trucks

BY RIKKI MASSAND

Discord on the Village Board of Trustees about the proposed purchase of three new fire trucks came to a head during a budget workshop session on Thursday, March 16th when a majority of the board declined transfer funds for the purchase of two of the trucks.

By a 5-3 vote the Board denied a proposal to transfer $2.3 million from the village’s surplus to the Garden City Fire Department ‘Equipment’ account for the purchase of new fire trucks.

The village’s Fire Safety Committee had recommended the purchase of three engines at once so that all three fire houses in the Village would have the same model truck.

Mayor Cosmo Veneziale, Trustee Bruce Torino and Deputy Mayor Tom O’Brien advocated for the “standardized” GCFD fleet, which they said would improve operations of the department because engine drivers would only need to be trained on the one model.

In addition, they said the village would reap cost savings benefits by making the bulk order. Prior to this year the village had allocated funds for a single new fire truck.

See page 56