GILFORD – For the second time this year – this time by a margin of 10 votes – residents defeated a proposal to buy a new fire engine to replace 25-year-old Engine 4, the fire department’s only pump truck and the backup for Engine 1.

A $450,000 warrant article to replace the truck at Town Meeting in March failed, 709 in favor to 915 against.

Soon after that vote, the old engine failed a state inspection and was taken off the road because of age-related mechanical and electrical problems.

In April, town officials searched for alternatives to buying a new truck, but a local truck repair shop said fixing the truck would be costly, and there was doubt expressed among town officials about the wisdom of repairs given the vehicle’s poor condition.

At selectmen's meetings, there was also much doubt expressed by several residents and two town budget committee members about the wisdom of buying a new truck. Some thought Engine 4 should be repaired, while others said the town didn’t need four fire trucks.

The selectmen decided the best option was to bring the question back to voters with more information about Engine 4's disrepair and ask for another vote. A Belknap County Superior Court judge granted Gilford a special town meeting to discuss a new motion to lease a new truck for 10 years at an overall cost of $441,000.

Meanwhile, during the summer the fire department relied heavily on mutual aid, and borrowed a fourth truck from Belmont three times and another from Laconia three times.

There was little talk against the new truck proposal at the deliberative session of the meeting in August. But there were not enough voters in favor of the proposal for it to pass on Tuesday.

A total of 1,832 votes were cast on the ballot question, which needed a three-fifths majority, or 1,099 of those votes, to pass.

The vote Tuesday was 1,089 in favor, 743 against.

- - - - - - - -