Fire department officials in Gordon Heights to seek money to replace leaky roof

Besides battling blazes, Gordon Heights fire officials fight a scourge right over their heads — their firehouse's chronically leaky roof.

The department — which has among the highest fire district taxes on Long Island — has spent years patching holes and replacing rotting ceiling tiles in the break room, which doubles as a public meeting room, and the emergency medical services office, where medicines are stored, officials said.

A new roof would cost about $250,000 — far more than the cash-strapped district can afford.

"It's at the point where we made it through this past winter," said Carter Brown, co-chair of the board of fire commissioners. "But I can't guarantee we'll make it through another winter."

Built in the 1950s, the firehouse was upgraded in the 1980s and expanded about a decade ago.

During a tour last week, Brown and other officials pointed to brown and beige water stains on ceilings and floors they said were caused by frequent leaks from the roof. Part of the boiler room ceiling collapsed last year, Brown said.

But help appears to be on the way. Gordon Heights officials learned two weeks ago that the state budget approved last month includes a $75,000 grant for a new roof. It is now up to district officials to raise more money for the project, either through bonds, a tax increase or additional grants.

Officials acknowledge making up the balance won't be easy.

“We could use a lot of 75 thousands,” commissioner Joyce Boyd said.

Gordon Heights has struggled financially for decades, in part because the 1.7-square-mile fire district has only two small businesses, putting the tax burden on its middle-class homeowners.

Median household income in Gordon Heights, where 58% of residents are Black, is $96,144, about 14% less than Suffolk County's $111,660 median household income, according to U.S. Census data.

The district's $1.73 million annual budget gets about 98%, or $1.7 million, of its financial support from property taxes. That translates to about $1,446 per household, about four times that of the typical Suffolk fire district.

Tax hikes, which reached as high as 7.5% in 2017, have remained within the state's 2% property tax cap in recent years, said district manager Diana Brown, Carter Brown's wife. She attributed the improvement to better planning and budgeting.

Rosalie Hanson, who once led a drive to dissolve the district but supports the current commissioners, said the department is beset by costly state-mandated expenses, such as for insurance and equipment purchases.

"They’re doing the best they can. That’s all you can do,” Hanson said. “All these unfunded mandates cost money."

Assemb. Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson), who helped secure the state grant, said he would look for additional funding to help Gordon Heights.

“The residents need some help on the tax side of that," he said. "I’m hoping [the grant] alleviates some of the necessity of raising taxes later on.”

District officials said the grant is just the beginning, but they must do more to stabilize the department's finances.

“Nobody comes to your door and says, 'Here’s your money.' You have to go after it,” Boyd said. “You can’t tax people out of their homes, either.”

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.