Residents Vote Against Sale Of Route 25A Firehouse

ST. JAMES, NY - St. James residents voted against the sale of the Route 25A firehouse on Tuesday night.

The tally was 498 "Yes" votes to 792 "No" votes.

Last month, the Board of Commissioners of the St. James Fire District voted to move forward with a public referendum to sell the firehouse to the St. James Fire Department.

In 2013, the St. James Fire District purchased the Route 25A firehouse from the fire department in order to reduce expenditures since the fire district had been paying rent to the department.

As the district's contract from the original sale stipulates, the department has the right of first refusal should the district choose to sell the building.

The decision was then left up to the residents to approve the sale of the firehouse to the fire department -- but now the residents have spoken.

"The St. James Fire District Board of Commissioners thanks all residents who voted in today’s referendum," Commissioner Ed Springer, Sr. said. "The Board will reconvene and discuss its next steps for the future of the Route 25A firehouse and the use of its space."

Do you agree with this decision? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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