A task force from the Londonderry Fire Department will continue to explore its options, after a recount of a March 21 vote failed to garner the required two-thirds majority.
On the ballot, the second warrant article asked voters to raise and appropriate $2,740,936 to upgrade the town-wide communications system, including police, fire and public works. The article was in two parts, with $1 million to be raised through bonding and $740,936 through a capital lease. The final tally was 1,415 yes, 995 no, 31 votes short of the needed majority.
Fire Chief Darren O’Brien, whose department had headed up the project, asked Moderator Bob Saur for a recount, which was held Tuesday, March 28.
 “I was doing my due diligence,” O’Brien said. “As a department head, it was my responsibility after everyone put so much into the project.” Two of his officers, Battalion Chief Mike McQuillen and Lt. Jeremy Mague, did all the research for the three departments, met with vendors, and presented the plan publicly.
While the recount garnered proponents an additional five votes, it still fell short, with another 26 needed for the required majority, O’Brien said.
But O’Brien maintains that the upgrade is still necessary, and he said he will be talking with the new Town Council and with Town Manager Kevin Smith about what to do next.
“We are going to look at something for the next budget cycle,” O’Brien said.
O’Brien theorized that voters may have been overwhelmed by the scope of the project, especially in a single warrant article. One of the options he and his team will be exploring is splitting the cost up into two warrant articles, he said. This will also work if they end up taking money out of fund balance, O’Brien said.
Londonderry is doing well financially due to increased industrial and commercial development. “If we have another good year like this one was, maybe we can get the money next year,” O’Brien said.,
One option would be setting up a capital account and adding money to it each year, he said.
“We are not giving up,” O’Brien said. “We can’t give up–by 2020 our equipment will no longer be supported. We can’t keep Frankensteining-it. The safety of the community is at risk.”
Moderator Bob Saur said the recount was done before a “board of recount” including himself, three Town Councilors, Town Clerk Sherry Farrell, and seven ballot clerks. Both paper and electronic ballots were recounted, he said.
O’Brien expressed his thanks to those who participated in the recount, saying, “A lot of people put a lot of work into it.”