Southwick Finance Committee Advances $1.1 Million Fire Engine, Votes on Capital Items

SOUTHWICK -- April 21, 2026, Southwick Finance Committee moves toward a $1.1 million fire engine purchase and approves nearly $970,000 in FY27 capital spending. The committee heard from the fire chief, attending remotely, that the town's truck committee has selected Sutphen of Ohio as vendor for the Engine 1 replacement, opting for a stock chassis to secure the Cummins L9 diesel engine before new federal emissions rules prohibit it in April 2028; a custom build would have taken 30 to 36 months and arrived with an unproven replacement engine. The stock truck is priced at $1.1 million, covers all mounting and radio installation, and is expected to be delivered in October 2027. The chief described his preferred financing approach as a free-cash deposit to reduce the principal, saving roughly 4 percent per $100,000 put down, followed by bonding, though leasing through a Sutphen-affiliated finance company in five-, seven-, or ten-year terms was characterized as a close second. No formal vote was taken on the purchase. On the operating budget, members flagged a roughly $2.2 million structural shortfall even after applying the town's certified free cash of $3.8 million, and warned that next year's picture is likely worse, with new growth quiet, state aid flat, and annual debt service set to increase by more than $230,000 once paving and fire-engine borrowing are added.