NOTICE OF ANNUAL ELECTION
VALLEY COTTAGE FIRE DISTRICT
IN THE TOWN OF CLARKSTOWN, ROCKLAND COUNTY
STATE OF NEW YORK
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that New York State Town Law requires the annual election of Fire Commissioners to take place on the second Tuesday in December and, in accordance with Town Law, the 2025 Annual Election of Fire Commissioners for the Valley Cottage Fire District shall be held on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., at the Firehouse located at 20 Lake Road, Valley Cottage, New York, for the purpose of electing one (1) Fire Commissioner for a five year term, commencing on January 1, 2026 and expiring on December 31, 2030.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that, to vote in the 2025 Annual Election on Election Day, a person must [1] be registered to vote with the Rockland County Board of Elections on or before November 17, 2025 and [2] be a resident in the Valley Cottage Fire District at least thirty (30) days prior to said election.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that there are five (5) Fire Commissioners at any given time, who serve the Fire District on overlapping term schedules so that one seat comes up each year. Candidates for the Office of Fire District Commissioner must be a U.S. Citizen, a resident of the Valley Cottage Fire District, and must never have been convicted of arson in any degree. Candidates for the Office of Fire District Commissioner shall submit a Nominating Petition subscribed by not less than twenty-five (25) registered voters of the Fire District to the District Secretary at least twenty (20) days in advance of Election Day, which is on or before November 19, 2025. Nominating Petitions and details may be obtained via mail from Amanda Hyland, District Secretary, at 20 Lake Road, Valley Cottage, New York 10989 or via email at amanda.hyland@valleycottagefd.org.
Dated: October 28, 2025
Amanda Hyland
District Secretary
Board of Fire Commissioners
***************************************************************************************************
NOTICE OF SPECIAL ELECTION
VALLEY COTTAGE FIRE DISTRICT
IN THE TOWN OF CLARKSTOWN, ROCKLAND COUNTY
STATE OF NEW YORK
PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the Town Law of the New York State requires a Special Election upon a Mandatory Referendum of the Valley Cottage Fire District to take place on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., at the Firehouse located at 20 Lake Road, Valley Cottage, New York, for the purpose of voting upon the following Proposition.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that, any person eligible to vote in the Valley Cottage Fire District Elections shall be eligible to vote upon this Proposition; that is, to vote in the Special Election, a person must [1] be registered to vote with the Rockland County Board of Elections on or before November 17, 2025 and [2] be a resident in the Valley Cottage Fire District at least thirty (30) days prior to said election.
PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that the Proposition shall read as follows:
PROPOSITION FOR SUBMISSION TO THE ELECTORS OF THE VALLEY COTTAGE FIRE DISTRICT REFERENDUM ON THE AMENDMENT OF THE LENGTH OF SERVICE AWARD PROGRAM FOR ACTIVE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER MEMBERS OF THE VALLEY COTTAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT
THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS OF VALLEY COTTAGE FIRE DISTRICT, TOWN OF CLARKSTOWN, COUNTY OF ROCKLAND, STATE OF NEW YORK, IN A RESOLUTION ADOPTED SEPTEMBER 23, 2025 AND AMENDED ON OCTOBER 28, 2025, APPROVED AN AMENDMENT OF THE DEFINED BENEFIT LENGTH OF SERVICE AWARD PROGRAM, ADMINISTERED BY THE FIRE DISTRICT AND ESTABLISHED FOR ACTIVE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS OF THE VALLEY COTTAGE FIRE DEPARTMENT, TO EXTEND THE MAXIMUM YEARS OF SERVICE CREDIT FOR WHICH A PARTICIPATING ACTIVE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER MAY EARN A SERVICE AWARD FROM 40 TO 50 YEARS, AND THEREFORE THE MAXIMUM PROJECTED ACCRUED MONTHLY SERVICE AWARD FROM $800 TO $1,000, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2026.
THERE IS CURRENTLY NO CONTRIBUTION OWED FOR THE PROGRAM DUE TO ITS FUNDED STATUS. OTHERWISE, THE AVERAGE CONTRIBUTION FOR EACH PARTICIPATING VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER THAT EARNS SERVICE CREDIT IS APPROXIMATELY $2,000 AND THE ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION FOR THE AMENDED PROGRAM WILL NOT INCREASE AS A RESULT OF THIS AMENDMENT. THE DISTRICT PAYS AN ADDITIONAL $6,000 IN ANNUAL ACTUARIAL AND ADMINISTRATION FEES AND $11,500 IN INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT FEES WHICH ALSO WILL NOT CHANGE AS A RESULT OF THIS AMENDMENT.
SHALL THE STATED RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS BE APPROVED?
Dated: October 28, 2025
Amanda Hyland
District Secretary
Board of Fire Commissioners