LIVERMORE FALLS – Selectmen voted 3-1 Monday to ask voters if they want to transfer up to an additional $30,000 more than the $100,000 they raised in June to bid on Farmington’s ladder truck.

Selectman Bill Demaray opposed the motion because voters already approved $100,000 at the annual town meeting to buy the truck when that’s all that townspeople thought was needed. Demaray said even though he supports the Fire Department, his opposition was based on principle.

Since June, Farmington Fire Rescue Department has put the ladder truck out to bid with a minimum bid of $100,000. Bids are due by 2 p.m. Friday, Jan. 5.

Prior to the decision on what to put before voters during a special town meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 2, at the Livermore Falls High School cafeteria, selectmen, Town Manager Martin Puckett and Fire Chief Ken Jones and Assistant Chief Jim Leclerc entered into a 45-minute executive session to discuss a bid.

The warrant article on the ladder truck will be put before voters with the selectmen’s amount of up to an additional $30,000 and the Budget Committee’s recommendation of nothing.

That panel voted to recommend not voting on Farmington’s ladder truck and instead concentrate on developing a capital improvement plan, fixing the cables on the town’s existing ladder truck and get it certified, and follow recommendations of the Insurance Services Office public protection classification program and a joint fire study of five area towns including Livermore Falls.

Budget Committee Chairwoman Louise Chabot said the panel based their decision on facts and not feelings.

Otherwise, if it was based on the latter, they would have probably run out and bought Jones the truck, she said.

Public discussion on bidding on the ladder truck before and after the executive session ranged from not voting again since the majority of about 325 voters at the June town meeting approved raising the amount of $100,000, what to do with the $100,000 if they don’t bid on the truck, the circumstances surrounding the truck’s sale changed to a bidding process, and there is still a need for Livermore Falls to have a ladder truck.

Voters supported the town having an aerial ladder truck that is sufficient for the “safety of our firefighters and the safety of our townspeople,” Leclerc said.

Former Selectman Clayton Putnam said he opposed having a special town meeting on approving more money for the truck because voters have spoken and there most likely won’t be the same amount of people turn out for the special town meeting.

“I think we’re missing the boat if we don’t jump on it,” Jones said of bidding on the Farmington truck or another one.

The needs in the department have been to get a tanker truck, a ladder truck and a rescue pumper to replace aging equipment, Jones said.

A Fire Act grant came through, he said, which voters will also be deciding whether to transfer $9,900 from undesignated surplus fund to get the $198,000 grant at the special town meeting.

There is an opportunity to buy Farmington’s ladder truck, he said, and they’re looking at getting a pumper/rescue truck down the road.

Jones said the department has brought in $500,000 in the last few years from grants to buy equipment and now the tanker truck.