Bancroft councillors rallied against their mayor’s opposition and voted to approve purchasing two new buildings, following a lengthy council debate Wednesday.
The vote means Bancroft will spend about $500,000 for a new public works garage and an addition to its fire hall.
The motion that passed also had a last-minute amendment, proposed by Deputy Mayor Charles Mullet, that the smaller of the two buildings, the fire hall expansion, go up in 2024.
Five councillors and the deputy mayor approved the plan, but Mayor Paul Jenkins did not.
He said a report recommending the purchases was “incomplete” and hadn’t gone through the normal budgeting process. He also expressed concern that not all the costs involved in the projects are clear.
However, other councillors accepted the report’s explanation that the two buildings, both Toro Steel Buildings, could be purchased at a clearance price if approval was given at that meeting.
The report noted that the buildings can be stored until they’re ready for assembly and there will be future additional costs, such as for engineering and design work.