Don Kintzel, George Meyer re-elected to Hopewell Township Board of Fire Commissioners.
By John Tredrea
The Valley’s three fire district budgets passed easily Saturday, when fire district elections were held statewide.
Don Kintzel and George Meyer were re-elected to the Hopewell Township Board of Fire Commissioners, defeating three challengers by a 2-1 margin or better.
The township’s $2,333,036 fire budget was approved 248-136. The budget will bring a fire tax rate of 8 cents per $100 of assessed property value, same as last year and the year before. For a property assessed at $200,000, that means $160.
Approved 225-155 was a separate ballot question on whether to purchase a new fire truck for $720,000.
Mr. Kintzel, a member of the fire commission for nine years and a longtime member and former chief of Union Fire Company, received 193 votes. Mr. Meyer received 198 votes. Commissioner Meyer has been a member of the fire commission almost uninterruptedly since 1989. He also is a member of Union Fire as well as the Union Rescue Squad and is a captain on the township police force. They were elected to three-year terms on the fire commission.
Michael Ackerson received 97 votes in the township. Tim Lynch, who at 19 years old was the Valley’s youngest candidate for elective office in many years, if not ever, received 91 votes. Jason Belmont received 79.
In Hopewell Borough, a $607,623 fire budget was approved 60-9. Approval of the budget will bring a fire tax rate of 9 cents, same as last year. For a property assessed at $200,000, that means $180.
Running unopposed, incumbents Donald Anderson and Donald Reichman were re-elected to three-year terms on the borough’s fire commission. Mr. Anderson received 59 votes. Mr. Reichman got 52.
Pennington’s $426,575 fire budget was approved 29-1. The budget will bring a tax rate of 6 cents, down 1 cent from last year. For a property assessed at $200,000, that means $120.
Running unopposed, Mark Blackwell and Bill Meytrott were re-elected to three-year terms on the borough fire commission, with 26 and 28 votes respectively.