St. James residents on Tuesday voted against a bond plan to build a new firehouse.

Fire District Commissioner Ed Springer said the new firehouse would replace two aging structures -- one would be sold and the other demolished.

"We have a major leak under the firehouse which is causing the foundation to slant," he said.

The new firehouse would have cost $12 million and raised property taxes in the fire district between $200 and $400 a year.

Lenny Gombert, a firefighter in the community for 48 years, called the tax increase "a burden."

"Money is an issue," Gombert said. "This block alone, 30 percent of them are retired people."

This is the second time the district has asked for bond money to upgrade its firehouse facilities. The last bond vote failed in 2013.