BREWER – City councilors will continue their discussion about forming a regional fire district with several area communities, including Brewer’s neighbor to the south, on Thursday during a special council meeting.

After discussing the fire district, the council will consider an order to “authorize the mayor and city manager to work with officials of the town of Orrington and other municipalities to implement a regional fire district.”

The resolve does not create the fire district but is an initial step in the process for the city, Brewer City Manger Steve Bost said Tuesday.

Brewer Fire Chief Rick Bronson has proposed that a single fire district be created among more than 11 cities and towns on both sides of the Penobscot River, which would eliminate local municipal fire departments all together.

“I hope all citizens that are interested or have concerns [about the fire district] will show up,” Bronson said Tuesday. “We can answer their questions and get their input. We’d like to hear what they think.”

Orrington is one town that is seriously considering the proposal. Residents will vote on the fire district issue at their annual town meeting at 7:30 p.m. June 6 at Center Drive School.

Several meetings between the two neighboring communities have taken place since the idea was presented to Orrington selectmen on May 2 and to Brewer councilors on May 10.

These meetings have led to changes to the fire district creation document, Bronson said.

“It’s a work in progress; changes continue to happen,” he said.

Operational costs of the proposed Maine Fire District No. 1, a suggested name for the new district, would be divided among all participating towns based on five factors: population, taxable property values, exempt property values, excise taxes and the number of emergency calls in the past year.

Before Orrington residents vote on the issue, they need to educate themselves about the district, Fire Chief Mike Spencer said Tuesday.

“I can’t say it enough – people need to come and make themselves aware,” he said. “The day of the vote is not going to be the day to find out what they’re voting for.”

The Orrington chief has been bombarded with questions ever since the proposal was presented to town leaders.

“There is no real way to give them the whole spiel [quickly],” Spencer said. “You’d have to sit them down for at lease half an hour [to explain the proposed fire district].”

Spencer has invited Bronson to speak to his firefighters today during the Orrington Volunteer Fire Department’s monthly meeting.

“There is an awful lot of pros behind this and a few cons,” he said. “The biggest thing is the uncertainty or unknowns that we’re stepping into.”

A special meeting was held May 6 in Orrington during which selectmen approved adding the fire district warrant article. A public hearing on the matter also was held May 16. Orrington Town Manager Dexter Johnson said 21 people, mostly local fire and rescue personnel, were in attendance at the public hearing.

So far, he hasn’t been getting a lot of calls on the issue, the town manager said.

“The consensus, I would say, across the board is we need to address some serious issues with fire-rescue in Orrington,” Johnson said.