WILTON – Borrowing money is out. Fundraising is in.

That’s the opinion of selectmen Tuesday as they wrestled with the wording for a Jan. 8 special town meeting warrant.

In it, voters will be asked to approve $15,000 to buy a used 1998 heavy rescue truck for use by the fire department. While selectmen agree that it’s a good buy, the source of the money to pay for it became the issue.

Most selectmen are against borrowing from an outside source or the seller or just taking the needed funds from surplus. Instead, they are looking for firefighters to “step up” and commit to raising a portion of the funds if they want the vehicle.

“The community needs to see the fire department step up. I need to see them step up and there are people there willing to step up,” said Chairman Paul Gooch as he agreed with Selectman Terry Brann that the department needs to earn some of the money. Brann reminded the board that the department had indicated a willingness to come back with a plan to raise a portion of the truck’s cost.

Selectman Russell Black also agreed that the board needed to see something from the department. They need to come up with at least a percentage, if they want it, he said.

Sale of the department’s old tanker raised $2,500, said Town Manager Peter Nielsen. The board is accepting bids on the old rescue truck until Dec. 14 with bids opened at the next meeting on Dec. 18. At that point, the board will have a better idea how much more needs to be raised, although Engine 5 is also up for sale and proceeds from that sale, if it happens, could reduce the amount of funds needed from fundraising, he said.

The board agreed to take any proceeds from the equipment sales and put it toward the rescue truck purchase but then split the rest of the cost with the fire department. The rescue truck would be bought with funds from surplus if the town accepts the purchase but the fire department would be expected to raise at least 50 percent of the balance to pay back to surplus.

No one from the fire department attended the meeting to offer any plans for purchasing the vehicle or fundraising.

“They ought to show good faith if they want this,” said Brann, who felt the department’s shortsightedness was responsible for several requests for equipment purchases and sales.

“If they don’t step up, then I won’t support this at all,” said Gooch.