In a closely contested decision, Dexter voters narrowly rejected a charter amendment that sought to block the construction of a new fire station at the site of the old one.

The amendment, which proposed designating the land upon where the old fire station stands for recreation, forcing a relocation of the new station to city-owned property across town from Mill Creek Middle School, failed with a final tally of 1,414 votes in favor and 1,463 votes against.

Precinct 1 showed a slight majority in favor of the amendment with 881 “Yes” votes and 820 “No” votes. Precinct 2 leaned more heavily against it with 533 “Yes” votes and 643 “No” votes, resulting in the amendment’s defeat.

The contentious park preservation issue sparked controversy from both sides. Some community members saw the preservation initiative, which involved two members of the city council, as an underhanded move to subvert the council’s choice of locations for the fire station. It is important to note that no rules were broken in the preservation effort.

Others felt the city duped them as to the location of the station. For several months, a sign had been posted at the city-owned property near Mill Creek Middle School, reading “Proposed Site of Dexter’s New Fire Station,” leading some to believe that the decision on the site was already finalized. It is important to note that the bond voters approved in 2022 to finance the new facility did not designate a specific location but stated the money was “for the purpose of paying the cost of acquiring, designing, renovating and/or constructing public safety facilities in the City.”

Should the park preservation amendment passed, it still was not clear whether it would have stopped construction of the new station. Ambiguous ballot language and fire department lease were two of the issues that would have had to be settled in court.

Despite the looming preservation question, the Dexter City Council has been methodically advancing this project, arranging temporary facilities to ensure uninterrupted fire services during construction. The contractor is currently awaiting the demolition permit, which is expected soon, and demolition will begin shortly thereafter. Meanwhile, the Dexter Fire Department has been granted permission to use the old building for training exercises such as including cutting through doors.

The new station is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025.