Panel defers decision on Fire District

By: Purvi Desai
   WASHINGTON — Township officials hope to get state approval to dissolve the Fire District at the next state Local Finance Board meeting on Nov. 9, after the board postponed that decision on Oct. 11, Township Administrator Mary Caffrey said.
   The move would shift fire and emergency services under the municipality’s governance.
   "The Local Finance Board has requested additional information from Washington Township, including more details on how they plan to move from a fire district to a municipal department," said Chris Donnelly, a spokesman for the LFB, on Tuesday.
   "We cannot definitively say this is the first time this has occurred, because our records reflect dissolutions of all types of authorities and fire districts," Mr. Donnelly said.
   "This is a very new thing we’re asking for," Ms. Caffrey said. "There have been only two things similar to this in the state. One of them was in Cherry Hill, where multiple fire districts merged into a single one."
   The Township Council decided to dissolve the Fire District at a public hearing on July 27 after several allegations of mismanagement were made against the fire commission. The fire commission consisted of five members, two of whom — former Chairman Peter Marsch and former treasurer Greg Zalenski — have since resigned.
   At the Oct. 11 meeting, LFB officials heard testimony from Washington officials, including Mayor Dave Fried. Despite being given comprehensive financial information, the board wanted to know more about the details of the transition from the currently independent Fire District to the one under the municipality’s control, which township officials didn’t provide. Ms. Caffrey said.
   She said the LFB wants to know what the district would look like when the municipality takes over.
   "They were interested in getting a little more transitional information," Ms. Caffrey said. "They think we’re doing the right thing for the town."
   Other factors impeding the decision included unresolved grievances between the union, the fire commission and paid firefighters, she said.
   "The union has had some delays in getting some grievances resolved with the commissioners and existing paid firefighters, who filed (those grievances) with the commissioners," Ms. Caffrey said, adding that the firefighters and the union requested 30 days to resolve those. "One of the commissioners felt strongly to resolve those (ahead of the dissolution)." Also, the change in Fire District attorneys has added to the delay in getting those grievances resolved, she said.
   Although, overall, Ms. Caffrey said the LFB members "were very favorable in their comments," she added that she had forewarned the Township Council that she anticipated having to go through two meetings before the LFB would make a decision on the dissolution.
   " I think that because this is the first time, the board is taking its time and taking things carefully," Ms. Caffrey said, adding that this case is likely to be an example for municipalities that may seek the same type of dissolution.