BY ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The Town Council unanimously ratified a two-year fire protection contract with the Massena Volunteer Fire Department that comes with an $82,000 price tag. The deal will cover Jan. 1, 2014 through Dec. 31, 2015.

The preliminary budget had a $79,000 deal written in.

“We haven’t had an increase in five or six years. The village was asking for more money and we just thought it was the right thing to do,” Town Supervisor Joseph Gray said.

Gray pointed to the constant need for upgrades the department is faced with. They are currently looking at buying a new fire truck with a $600,000 price tag.

“They have to equip that,” he said.

In addition to the contract, the board will be giving the fire department $32,000 from its next casino compact check to pay for new thermal imaging equipment and digital radios. Gray noted that the board has given the fire department upwards of $100,000 in casino money to go towards equipment costs.

After a brief debate, the board opted to handle the casino funding as its own item rather than writing it into the contract, which is what the state Comptroller’s Office wants to see.

“If the only one pushing to do it is the Comptroller’s Office, I really don’t care,” Gray said.