Article 11 – Purchase of Fire Engine from Unassigned Fund Balance – $825,000

Click here to see the wording of this Article as it appears on your ballot.

What it means: Engine 2, which the Town purchased as a 17-year-old vehicle in in 2017 to replace a 2002 engine that was lost to frame corrosion, would be replaced. When E2 was purchased, the plan was to run it for four years; it is now coming up on 6 years. If Article 11 is passed, the new engine would be delivered in mid-2024, roughly the same timing as the engine that was funded last year.

Those in favor say: One important factor in determining a town’s fire rating (and thus residential and business insurance rates) is the ability to deliver water in sufficient quantity to quickly extinguish a fire. Based on established criteria, Hampton needs (and theoretically has) four pumpers. Of the four, two are in excellent condition. Engine 3 is out of service, and a new one was ordered with funds approved by the voters last year.

The fourth pumper the Fire Department runs is a 2000 model year engine, acquired in 2017 with the goal of operating it through 2021. It is over its life expectancy, and has had issues. On several occasions, the department had to borrow a vehicle from Exeter because Engine 2 was out of commission. This is the engine that will be replaced if the voters approve Article 11.

Those against say: There was discussion about using the Unassigned Fund Balance, and how to properly advise the voters that the tax dollars were collected in previous years (as opposed to the term “no tax impact”.)