The Hope Fire Company is locked in a battle with Upper Freehold over funding, with township officials claiming that taxpayers have shouldered too much of the financial burden for regional fire services.
The company in Allentown primarily services Upper Freehold and Allentown and is owned and operated by volunteers from those communities and other neighboring towns, according to Hope Fire Company (HFC) President Steve Gomba. The company currently operates with two budgets, one that it creates from money it raises on its own and one funded by the towns it services.
“The company side [covers] uniforms, the mortgage, janitorial supplies, a portion of the utilities and more,” Gomba said. “The municipal side [covers] the trucks, equipment and gear.”
The company is not part of a fire district, so residents who use its services do not pay a dedicated fire tax toward its operations. However, in recent years, Allentown has contributed $36,000 per year toward the municipal budget for the company, and Upper Freehold has contributed $90,000 per year. Both municipalities have also given the company vouchers for equipment purchases, according to Gomba.
Gomba said that Upper Freehold has always been the lead municipality in the interlocal agreement with Allentown for fire services. He said Upper Freehold currently pays for the five career firefighters stationed at the firehouse on weekdays. Each of these employees currently works four 10- hour days assisting the volunteers in daytime coverage, according to Gomba.
Since the career staff started using the company’s building, equipment and utilities, the company has had to deal with increased costs, according to Gomba. Because there is a state law that stipulates how much money a local government can contribute to a private emergency organization, Gomba said that in 2003 Upper Freehold entered into an agreement to pay the company rent for use of the firehouse. The township agreed to pay the company $20,000 per year for the career firefighters’ use of the building, according to Gomba.
“One of the primary reasons for this agreement was that there is a state law that says a local government can only contribute up to $90,000 per year to a private emergency organization, and this was a legitimate way for Upper Freehold to get more money to us,” he said.
Gomba said the company needs the rent money to help offset increased utility, janitorial supply, furniture and building costs, as well as the mortgage payments on its land and building.
In 2005, Gomba said, Upper Freehold and Allentown decided in budget meetings that they would not change their contributions to HFC. He said the first-quarter payments in April 2006 from both municipalities remained the same but that Upper Freehold reduced its second-quarter payment that year.
“Upper Freehold decided to cut the rent payment from us and deducted $5,000 from our second-quarter payment,” he said. “So, that quarter we only received $17,000 from the township.”
Although the HFC immediately requested for the rent to be reinstated, Gomba said that the township refused to do so for the remainder of 2006. He also said the township refused to meet with the company to discuss the rent issue.
The HFC sent a list of reasons to the township in support of the reinstatement. The list stated that the fire company had to pay for a truck rental in 2005-06 when its own truck had to be refurbished for a new tanker-trailer. The list also stated that the HFC had paid a large amount of money to obtain a federal grant for the new tanker-trailer along with money to obtain a federal grant for air packs. The list further stated that the HFC needed the rent reinstated to help offset costs for its engines, building and other items.
Gomba alleged that township officials told him they could not do anything about reinstating the rent, as township Committeeman Stephen Alexander, whom the committee designated as its fire company liaison, was serving military duty in Iraq.
In early 2007 the HFC made two more presentations to the Township Committee – one on its immediate need for a replacement brush truck and a utility truck and another on its projected needs for the next 10 years, according to Gomba. Since the firehouse is 13 years old, the company expects to have significant costs soon for roof and parking-lot repairs, he said.
“We’ve heard no responses from Upper Freehold on either of these issues,” Gomba said. “We also had our annual budget meeting for 2007 with Upper Freehold and Allentown.
“That was cut short prior to us being able to hear any information on what money we could expect, or being able to discuss the rent,” he added.
Although the company requested a second budget meeting, Gomba said it never materialized. In response to the request, the township sent the company a letter indicating that the committeemen were busy and had already met with company representatives several times by that point in the year. The letter further stated that the township wanted the company to pay for an additional audit for the year.
The HFC pays for an annual audit and provides the resulting information to both municipalities, according to Gomba.
The HFC responded to the letter by requesting a July 9 meeting and telling Upper Freehold that it would have to pay for the additional audit. Gomba said he could not authorize an expenditure for the additional audit because the company had already been audited that year.
Gomba said he never heard an Upper Freehold response to his requests but did hear from Allentown Mayor Stuart Fierstein.
He said Fierstein contacted him to say that the requested meeting would probably not happen, as the township and the borough had underlying issues.
Gomba said the HFC has since repeatedly invited Upper Freehold committeemen to informally stop by the firehouse on Wednesday evenings to watch its drills and learn more about the company and its operations. But no committeemen have made an effort to visit, according to Gomba.
Alexander, who returned from duty in Iraq in the summer of 2006, said he takes exception to many of Gomba’s comments regarding HFC funding and other issues. He said that in 2006, upon recommendations from HFC Chief Brad Carter and lead career firefighter Doug Vorpe, the township hired a fifth full-time firefighter. The annual cost of approximately $45,000 for the employee covers salary and wages, health benefits, disability insurance and social security, Alexander said.
“When we asked Allentown to increase the allotment [it provides] for the career firefighters, Allentown refused,” he said. “[Allentown pays] $30,000 a year for the other four career firefighters when salary and wages alone cost over $122,000. With health benefits, insurance and social security, it quickly goes over $160,000 just for the four firefighters.”
Alexander said that the entire cost of funding a fifth firefighter currently falls upon Upper Freehold taxpayers, even though Allentown benefits from the hire as well.
“We needed to cut budgets in 2006 and 2007,” Alexander said, “and with the hiring of a new career firefighter, we determined that we would cut the $20,000 off the budget of HFC.
“This was a tough decision,” he said, “but a uniform decision of the Upper Freehold Township Committee.”
Alexander said the township contributed approximately $500,000 in 2006 toward firefighting equipment, contributions and legal services. He said Upper Freehold taxpayers in essence paid 4 cents per $100 of assessed value toward firefighting services.
“The taxpayers of Upper Freehold cannot continue to shoulder the financing of additional firefighters alone when Allentown gets 100 percent of the same coverage that Upper Freehold does,” he said.
Alexander said he believes that the career firefighters not only assist the volunteers at this point, but also completely cover weekday fire services.
“I would think Mr. Gomba would appreciate the services the career staff provides,” he said.
Alexander continued, “I know lately that Chief Carter and Vorpe have been working closely together on future plans and needs of fire services. I think Mr. Gomba’s tone undermines this developing relationship.”
Alexander said Gomba makes it sound like the career firefighters should be grateful for using the HFC building.
“Additionally, most of the equipment the career staff uses is separately funded and [its] own,” he said. “In fact, when I returned from Iraq, I personally donated a real nice couch and sofa for the volunteers. They came to my house, and I helped them load the furniture. The furniture is still being used and in good shape.”
Alexander said the governing body told HFC a number of times during budget meetings that the township cannot afford the $20,000 it pays in rent to the company.
“We made that very clear,” he said. “Currently, we are in need of hiring two more firefighters to assist with emergency medical services that Allentown First Aid Squad provides to better serve our communities. I don’t see how we can budget for the $20,000.”
Alexander also noted that each committeeman voted to cut his own pay by 20 percent so the township could make its budget.
“We are looking at even more financial difficulties in 2008 with the 4 percent CAP the state has imposed,” he said.
To replenish some of its budget costs, Alexander said the HFC could submit applications to the New Jersey Turnpike Authority for reimbursement of vehicle fees. He also said the HFC could request additional funding from Allentown, but to his knowledge it has not done so.
“With additional funding from Allentown and HFC submitting applications for reimbursement to the turnpike authority, perhaps the $20,000 can be supplemented by these two resources,” he said.
Alexander said the township is in the process of purchasing the brush truck the HFC asked for and will address the continued needs of firefighting services.