NOTICE OF PUBLIC REFERENDUM

NOTICE OF PUBLIC REFERENDUM PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to General Municipal Law Section 216, a public Referendum of the residents of the West Corners Fire District will take place on December 9, 2025 Between the hours of 6 pm and 9 pm in the fire station located at 500 Day Hollow Road, Endicott, NY, for the purpose of voting upon the following proposition: Shall the resolution of the West Corners Fire District Board of Fire Commissioners, adopted August 20, 2025, authorizing, pursuant to Article 11-A of the General Municipal Law of the State of New York, the establishment of a defined contribution service award program effective January 1, 2026, to be administered by the West Corners Fire District for active volunteer firefighter members of the West Corners Volunteer Fire Department; stating that under the program a $1,000 annual service award shall be credited to a participating volunteer's service award program account at the end of each year after 2025 during which the participating volunteer earned a year of service award program service credit and that an additional $500 service award shall also be credited to the accounts of eligible participating volunteers for each year up to a maximum of fire (5) years of such service credit earned for calendar years prior to 2026 and after calendar year 2020, stating that the total years of service credit and number of service awards that can be earned is forty, that stating that such participating volunteer's account balance with earned investment income thereon shall be the participating firefighter's accrued service award; stating that under the program participating volunteers shall be paid, generally, at age 62, the entitlement age, a lump-sum payment or 2 equal installment payments or any other actuarially equivalent form of payment approved by the Board of Fire Commissioners equal to the participating volunteer's accrued service award; stating that a participant becomes 100% vested upon earning five (5) years of service credit, attaining the entitlement age, being awarded a total and permanent disability or dying while an active member; stating that active volunteer firefighter members age 62 and older may earn or continue to earn service credit and shall be paid or continue to be paid additional service awards; stating pre-entitlement age death benefits shall be payable under the program equal to the participating volunteer's accrued service award earned as of the date of death; stating that pre-entitlement age disability benefits shall be payable under the program equal to the participating volunteer's accrued service award earned up to the December 31 preceding the time the participating volunteer's total and permanent disability shall be awarded by the Board of Fire Commissioners' stating the estimated annual cost payable by the Fire District of the program to be about $34,000 for current volunteers which shall include an annual administration fee of about $4,000; stating such estimated annual cost to be about $1,133 for each active volunteer firefighter; stating the estimated cost of granting service credit for service rendered in the 5 years immediately preceding 2026 may be as much as $61,500 to be paid in ten (10) equal annual installments by the West Corners Fire District. After the prior service liability has been paid, the cost of the program will be reduced to only the cost of benefits and administration; authorizing the payment of program benefits to effectively commence January 1, 2027 as participating volunteers and their beneficiaries become eligible for payments; and appropriating said amounts therefore, be approved? PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that a copy of the aforesaid resolution and a copy of the Point System for earning service credit referred to in said resolution are available for inspection at the Fire District headquarters and that every person who shall be a registered voted and who shall have resided in the West Corners Fire District for a period of thirty (30) days immediately preceding the referendum shall be eligible to vote upon the proposition. Dated: October 22, 2025 Betty J. Homa Fire District Secretary November 6 2025 LNYS0401069