At a recent meeting of the Dunkirk Town Board, the idea of honoring Purol in some way was raised by Town Board member Jean Crane, who filled Pagan’s vacant seat when he stepped into the role of Supervisor.

Crane highlighted the Memorial Garden, but suggested, “Not just a memorial, but to dedicate something to Dick. We have not had a Town Supervisor like that, ever.”

Pagan responded, “Absolutely. I’m in full agreement with that. Dick was a cherished friend and is greatly missed, even today. He should be recognized to some extent. … I think you’re correct. I think we should have something.”

Pagan said the Town Board will “throw some ideas around” at its next workshop on ways to honor Purol.

Richard “Dick” Purol was a longtime member of the East Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department and town supervisor until his death in February of this year. P-J photo by Braden Carmen

A prominent member of the East Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department for 50 years, Purol was every bit as dedicated to his work as a firefighter as he was as a Town Supervisor. His two public service passions were intertwined at the latest meeting, as shortly after discussing ways to honor Purol, the Town Board heard a presentation from the Town Assessor, Jeanne Ebersole, about the ability for the town to grant a special tax exemption for firefighters who live in the town.

The tax exemption proposed, which New York State has made available to municipalities across the state, would be in lieu of the income tax exemption already available to firefighters. The proposed exemption would represent 10% of the member’s overall assessment. The town would determine the specific criteria of which firefighters would be eligible for the exemption, based on active member status and minimum participation requirements. The Town of Portland and the Village of Brocton have also discussed the exemption in recent months.

“Obviously, recruitment and retention is important for our firemen and our ambulance people. This is an attempt to try to keep people in fire service and ambulance service, and to entice new, young homeowners into joining the service also,” Ebersole said.

Kyle Damon, East Dunkirk Fire Chief, was among the members of the audience during Ebersole’s presentation. Damon asked the town to reach out to the Dunkirk City School District and its Board of Education regarding the matter.

“Right now, we see the $200 New York state tax refund, which is something, but it’s minimal,” Damon said. “But if you pile the School Tax with the Property Tax, I think that would be a big draw. … As (Ebersole) mentioned, recruitment and retention is very difficult.”

Pagan voiced his support for the Fire Departments after Ebersole’s presentation. “I’m a volunteer myself, so it’s close to our hearts. We do a selfless thing – we service the community at no extra pay. We get up and leave our families and so on. We are fortunate to have the volunteers at both of our departments in the town.”

Ebersole responded, “It’s great that the Board wants to embrace that and show how thankful they are to the volunteers.”

Ebersole also briefly mentioned exemptions for veterans, including the Alternative Veterans Exemption, which applies to veterans during time of war. More information is available on the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance web page.