CARRABASSETT VALLEY – Town members voted to authorize the selectmen to borrow up to $700,000 to purchase a new aerial ladder firetruck at a special town meeting on Wednesday evening.

The request for the HME/Metz 105-foot aerial ladder truck was based on a recent recommendation from a Ladder Truck Study Committee and passed with a vote of 21 to 16.

“Unfortunately it was a light turnout,” said Town Manager David Cota.

The committee that oversaw the ladder truck study was comprised of 11 town members including Cota, and was chosen by the selectmen after the 2004 March town meeting when voters shot down purchasing the truck.

After the annual town meeting, the committee met six separate times to discuss the possibility of purchasing the truck and came to several conclusions. The committee not only reviewed the status of the current ladder truck, but it also hired a consultant from Maine Fire Training and Education.

After nearly seven months, the committee recommended purchasing the truck prior to the expected major price increase on Dec. 15. The decision was based on several factors that included firefighter safety, accessibility and maneuverability, and a greater ability to respond to emergencies.

“The meeting was filled with considerable debate and discussion,” said Cota.