The Johnsonville Fire District, which covers part of our town, holds its 2027 budget hearing Tuesday night

The Johnsonville Fire District will hold its public hearing on the 2027 annual budget on Tuesday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m. at the Johnsonville Fire House, 5 River Road, Johnsonville. The notice, signed by District Secretary David S. Tague “by the order of the Board of Commissioners,” was posted on the Town of Pittstown’s website on October 15.

The district’s letterhead says it serves the Towns of Pittstown and Schaghticoke. Johnsonville sits on the Hoosic River on the Pittstown side of the line, and the district’s territory extends across into our town. If your fire protection line on the January tax bill says Johnsonville, this is the hearing that sets it.

Why this week

Fire districts are their own small governments, with elected commissioners and a budget paid almost entirely by property tax. State Town Law section 181 requires each district’s commissioners to hold a public hearing on the proposed budget during the third week of October, after publishing a notice in the official newspaper at least five days ahead and posting it on the town signboard and on the district’s or town’s website if one exists. The notice has to say that a copy of the proposed budget is available at the town clerk’s office and from the district secretary. The adopted budget then goes to the town clerk by early November and becomes the fire line on the 2027 tax bill.

The Johnsonville notice gives the date, time and place but not the budget figures. The proposed budget should be on file with the Pittstown Town Clerk at 97 Tomhannock Road, Valley Falls, and, for the Schaghticoke portion, with the Schaghticoke Town Clerk at Town Hall in Melrose. We will report the numbers if we obtain a copy.

The Speigletown district

The Speigletown Fire District, which covers the hamlet and the surrounding part of the town along with a piece of Brunswick, holds its own hearing Monday, October 19 at 6:00 p.m. at the firehouse, 146 Speigletown Road, at the commissioners’ regular meeting. The posting is the electronic sign in front of the firehouse; nothing was online as of Sunday. Our story on that hearing is here.

Both hearings are open to anyone in the district. The Johnsonville hearing is on our events calendar.

Sources: the Johnsonville Fire District’s notice of public hearing, posted on the Town of Pittstown website on October 15, 2026; New York Town Law section 181 on fire district budget hearings; the electronic sign in front of the Speigletown firehouse, read October 18; speigletownfire.org and the Schaghticoke and Brunswick town websites, checked the same day; and our transcription of the Speigletown Fire District’s 2026 budget.