SPOTSWOOD — The Borough Council recently introduced an ordinance that would allow them to retire and replace one municipal fire truck and garbage truck.
According to Mayor Barry Zagnit, "The money needed to purchase these vehicles was already accounted for in the upcoming year’s budget, so it is not expected to affect taxpayers in anyway."
Zagnit also said that the vehicles are well overdue to be replaced, as the fire truck is a 1973 model and the garbage truck from 1987.
"We have to maintain a certain level of equipment," Zagnit added. "And these trucks have just reached the end of their useful life."
The current fire truck is a pumper-style vehicle that has started to show signs of tank support problems and rust; while the garbage truck is considered to be a high usage vehicle (run daily) and has worn out more quickly as a result, he explained.
A total of $600,000 has been set aside for the purchase of the two new vehicles and will cover the entire cost of the trucks, including their equipment, sanitation costs and design specifications.
"We’re actually very fortunate that our trucks have lasted as long as they have," Business Administrator Wayne Hamilton said. "The fire truck, in particular, has really held its own, considering that most municipalities have to replace theirs much more frequently. Ours last an average of 20 years here, which is not bad at all."
A second reading of the ordinance will take place during Monday’s council meeting.
— Nicole C. Vaccaro