Bob Gillespie Resigns From Thompsonville Fire Commission

The continuing saga of the Thompsonville Fire District took another turn last week with the sudden resignation of a commissioner.

Bob Gillespie, who was elected to the fire commission in 2012, resigned Thursday in the aftermath of several controversial issues, including the recent filing of a lawsuit against the commission by a group of Thompsonville citizens angered about no longer having a vote on the district's budget and plans to build a new fire station.

Gillespie said the pressure has become so intense that he has experienced chest pains, and cited his health as the reason for giving up his seat.

"I wasn't sleeping, and was constantly being harassed," he said. "It was a never-ending barrage of people yelling, being accosted in stores. It's just ridiculous."

Gillespie, who served nearly two decades as a Thompsonville firefighter and has spent his entire life in the district, said the department desperately needs to replace the obsolete Pearl Street station, which was built in 1939.

"The place is in such bad shape, you can't deny it anymore," he said. "This is something that needs to be done immediately, and there was no time for building committees. It's $4 million to fix the place down there, or $3 million for a new one."

Gillespie said he was in favor of continuing the longstanding practice of having district residents vote on the budget, but changed his mind at the last minute when informed by an attorney that the practice was against regulations.

"According to the attorneys, it was absolutely breaking the law if the taxpayers voted on the budget," he said. "Do I agree with it? No, I don't, but at the last minute I felt my hands were tied. I got lambasted, I've gotten emails from people - it was a never-ending thing. Little snide remarks - enough is enough."

No replacement for Gillespie has yet been chosen.