Loudon voters will be asked to buy used fire truck, approve $7.4M budget

A year after rebuffing their fire chief’s bid for a new ladder truck, Loudon voters will be asked to approve the purchase of a used vehicle for a much lower price — this time with funds from the town’s savings instead of a bond.

The 2026 warrant asks voters to green-light withdrawing $600,000 from the fire department’s capital reserve fund. In 2025, voters overwhelmingly rejected a $1.7 million bond for a new truck; the purchase would have no tax impact for this fiscal year.

“That was the consensus last year,” said Selectboard Chair Dwayne Gilman, “that a new one wasn’t gonna work and possibly a used one would be a better idea, so that’s addressing that issue.”

The town budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year lands at $7.4 million, roughly a $515,000, or 7.5%, increase over last year’s budget. Employee benefits, road maintenance and emergency services make up most of the operating costs, about $4.7 million.

Loudon’s deputy fire chief, William Lake, is set to retire soon, and town leaders are taking the opportunity to split the duties of his full-time position into two part-time roles without benefits. Lake will continue as a part-time fire prevention officer, while the town hires a new part-time building code inspector in the planning department.

Among the town’s 20 warrant articles is a proposed commercial and industrial tax exemption for properties on the Route 106 corridor. The Economic Development Committee pitched the idea last month as an incentive to bring more business — and, in turn, more tax revenue — to Loudon.

Businesses seeking to build, rebuild, modernize or expand within the town would start with a 50% tax discount off the assessed value of the completed development. That discount would decrease by 10% annually for five years until the business pays the full assessed value.

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