Voters reject budget for Central Coventry Fire District / Video

By Andy Smith

Providence Journal video / Kris Craig

COVENTRY, R.I. -- Taxpayers in the financially troubled Central Coventry Fire District decisively rejected, by a vote of 1357 to 484, a revised budget plan Tuesday night. The vote paves the way for the liquidation of the district, which provides fire and emergency services for 18,000 people.

Richard Land, the court-appointed special master for the district, said there will be court hearings in the near future to determine what happens next.

"There are a lot of issues to be resolved," he said.

David Gorman, president of the district's firefighters union, said he was disheartened by the vote. He said, "We'll be at work until the judge asks us not to come back to work."