By Keith Edwards
Kennebec Journal
AUGUSTA, Maine — A proposal to purchase a new ambulance — which local voters rejected borrowing for last month — goes before city councilors Thursday.
In November, Augusta voters rejected a plan for the city to borrow $500,000 to for the ambulance, new bleachers for Alumni Field, and improvements to downtown’s Haymarket Square.
City officials are now looking for another way to buy the ambulance, which they said is much needed, and have proposed a lease-purchase plan. Thursday, councilors will consider authorizing City Manager William Bridgeo to enter into the lease-purchase agreement, which Bridgeo estimated will cost between $150,000 and $175,000.
Councilors said they think they failed to convey to voters the importance of these projects to the city, prior to November’s vote.
They also said, in hindsight, they should have presented the items separately. The November referendum vote lumped all three projects into one, $500,000 bond proposal, which residents rejected by about 600 votes.
“We may have not done our job in preparing the community and explaining the need and why the costs were going to be spread over 20 years,” said Councilor David Rollins.
Ralph St. Pierre, assistant city manager and finance director, said the city can do a five-year lease-purchase for the ambulance, without voter permission.
Councilor Patrick Paradis, however, agreed the city needs the new ambulance but urged caution in acquiring something voters have essentially rejected.
“I don’t know if I’d be in favor of a lease-purchase, because the voters just said no to this,” Paradis said. “I know the need was there, but we didn’t get the message out.”
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