Gloucester voters resoundingly defeated a proposed $39 million bond referendum that would have provided for many needs and amenities in the community … but would also have raised property taxes.
The county needs to find another way to achieve its goals.
The most pressing need, it seems, is to arrange funding for construction of a new headquarters of Gloucester Volunteer Fire and Rescue. This was the first item on the list. The land sits empty and waiting on Main Street.
Many decades ago, when the volunteer fire company was established, the community found a way to purchase and house the equipment. It started from scratch. And while the original station has been expanded many times, with satellite stations in strategic locations, it is now maxed out and inadequate for current needs.
GVFR is always running to fires, to accidents, to medical emergencies, as is its slightly younger sibling, Abingdon Volunteer Fire and Rescue. That organization also would have benefited from the bond issue,...