By: Stephanie Prokop
CHESTERFIELD Mayor Brian Kelly said Tuesday the Township Committee hopes to begin talks soon on possibly merging the township’s two fire districts.
At the March 22 committee meeting, Mr. Kelly had said an outside negotiator would be needed to begin the discussion.
"We’re are still at work and we’re trying to find a negotiator someone who brings objectivity and has experience not only in what they do, but also understands fire safety and emergency management training," said Mayor Kelly Tuesday.
Mayor Kelly said he did not know when discussions would formally begin.
The defeated $365,875 budget for Fire District 1, which includes the village of Crosswicks, was significantly higher than Fire District 2’s budget, which was approved Feb. 17 by voters 23-1 at $219,997. The defeated budget then went before the Township Committee on March 14, which trimmed $25,000 from the fire budget, reducing the overall budget to $340,525, of which $323,525 will be raised through taxation.
Deputy Mayor Larry Durr had said in a previous statement that he agreed with the idea of a consolidation.
"It is my belief, although I believe that the entire committee agrees with me, that there are savings to be made and services would be better if all of the emergency services in Chesterfield would be under the same roof, he said.
Mr. Durr also noted that consolidation would include the EMS.
"It would be more effective to get the trucks out and have the entire township being served by one fire district," he said. It would also be more cost-effective, he added.
"I have not been able to (yet) have a conversation on price structure," for an outside negotiator, said Mayor Kelly at the March 22 meeting. "We need to have a (parameter) for budgeting," he added.

