The Tannersville and Haines Falls Fire Districts begin their official merger on Jan. 1, six months after the town of Hunter sold a parcel of land for a symbolic $1 for the combined district to use as a new firehouse.
The consolidation will create a larger pool of tax revenue to fund the new district as residents of both the village and hamlet pay a single fire tax, which will be slightly lower in Haines Falls and a bit higher in Tannersville. The volunteer fire companies will eventually serve together under one roof in the new building.
“The Tannersville and Haines Falls fire companies will be operating as they always have, but now they will be funded by taxes levied on the residents of both of the former districts,” said Tannersville Fire District Chairman Mike Lucey.
Taxes levied from both Haines Falls and Tannersville in 2026 will be the same: $1.15 per $1,000 of assessed value, according to Ray Ward, Greene Country’s director of Real Property Tax Services. That’s up from $0.74/$1,000 in Tannersville and down from $2.69/$1,000 for Haines Falls.
“The ultimate goal was to build a new firehouse, not two new firehouses, saving the taxpayers some money,” said Bob Haines, who is taking on the volunteer role of fire district chairman in addition to his full-time role as administrator for the Hunter Police Department.
As large expenditures such as a $1 million-plus ladder truck loom in the next few years, “We don’t want to overburden our taxpayers,” Lucey said. “You used to be able to go out and get a fire truck for $100,000 and you’re done,” he continued. “Not anymore.”
Occasional talk of consolidation became discussions between the districts for about a year before a decision was made in July. After a public hearing, the fire district boards voted and a resolution to merge in 2026 was declared that evening. The new firehouse is expected to be built on land adjacent to the Hunter Town Hall near Route 23A.
“As a longtime member, I know it was a long fight to do this,” said Tannersville Fire Chief Stephen Tuomey. “A lot of the old-timers have a lot of history built in their own fire companies and there’s been a few who feel that will get pushed aside and buried down the road. But I think this is going to be a good step forward to get better equipment to serve the area.”
Smaller communities across the state depend on volunteer fire departments instead of paid counterparts in bigger cities, saving New York taxpayers $4.7 billion a year in salaries, benefits, operating costs and interest payments, according to the Firefighters Association of the State of New York. It can take 80 to 125 hours to qualify as a state-certified firefighter.
“It’s tough to find that time, balancing family and work,” said Haines Falls Fire Company Chief Derrick Curran, whose crew of 25 volunteers ranges in age from 18 to 70. Volunteers make themselves available to be on-call in addition to drills a few times a month.
The Tannersville Fire Department has about 45 volunteers, 15 of whom are active, ranging in age from 18 to 65. The two companies, along with Hunter and Lanesville, already work together in mutual aid calls.
“Eventually, I see the districts becoming one for the whole town with Hunter and Lanesville in a couple of years,” Tuomey said.
Barbara Reina is a contributing reporter. Reach her at reporting@theoverlooknews.com.