Millstone Township’s Board of Fire Commissioners hopes that recent history doesn’t repeat itself and that residents will pass this year’s fire budget.
David Markunas, a member of the Board of Fire Commissioners, attended the Township Committee’s Jan. 16 meeting and told the governing body that the budgets’ defeats in the past three years have had a detrimental, cumulative effect.
Markunas said the commissioners face numerous budget challenges in 2008, including increased fuel, labor and benefits costs, as well as maintenance costs that were deferred the past several years. He said the fire department needs residents to understand and support the fire budget.
“We want to convince people that what we do is important, and that their vote is important,” he said.
Markunas said historically there has been a low turnout for the fire budget vote, with the average election garnering 60 to 90 voters. However, last year 384 residents, which was the highest turnout ever, voted in the election after it received a good deal of publicity, Markunas said.
This year, because the presidential primary falls on Feb. 5, which places a 30-day quarantine on Monmouth County voting machines, the fire district’s election will take place with paper ballots, according to Municipal Clerk Maria Dellasala.
“It’s like an old-time election, where [voters] put the ballot in a box,” Markunas said. “Voters are required to sign in.”
Residents who participate in the fire district election will vote Feb. 16 on four ballot questions. Voters will be asked to approve a $1.28 million overall budget for the fire district. Voters will also be asked to approve additional salaries and wages totaling $37,550, fringe benefits totaling $27,600, and maintenance and repair costs totaling $27,450.
The last three questions need at least 60 percent of voters to support them in order for the measures to go into effect.
The proposed budget would increase the local fire tax rate to .093 per $100 of assessed value, which is an increase of .011 over last year’s rate. A home assessed at the township’s average of $351,786 would pay an extra $38.70 per year in local fire taxes if the budget passes.
Salary and wages in the proposed budget amount to $590,996, whereas they cost $553,443 last year. Fringe benefits would increase to a total of $303,946 in the proposed budget, whereas they cost $255,566 last year. Other expenses amount to $362,124 this year, whereas they totaled $303,185 in 2007. Administration expenses in the proposed budget also increased, from $48,500 to $69,000 this year, mainly due to professional fees, which rose from $32,500 in 2007 to $54,500 this year, according to information supplied by the Board of Fire Commissioners.
According to a presentation the commissioners gave Jan. 17 to explain the proposed budget, the board pays $10,398 to train and equip a firefighter. The cost includes $2,100 for a jacket and pants, $750 for a new-style pass alarm, $500 for a pager, $400 for a physical, $600 for a radio, and additional fees for other miscellaneous items.
The fire commissioners said that passing this year’s budget would help maintain fiscal responsibility and stability, continue fire protection and public safety services, improve equipment and training, and catch up on deferred maintenance.
According to the presentation, the district’s surplus is nearly exhausted.
The fire district responded to a total of 420 incidents last year, including nine structural fires and 10 mutual aid responses for fires in adjoining communities. The district covered 78 motor vehicle calls, including seven vehicle fires and 11 extractions.
The department’s first responder program had eight calls, and the department had eight instances of needing assistance from medevac helicopter landings.
The department attended to 15 hazardous material assignments and provided tanker assistance for fires in the New Jersey Pine Barrens. In addition, the department performed 420 fire inspections, 127 smoke detector compliance inspections, 12 free home safety inspections, 19 station tours for public education programs, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training for township employees and the recreation department.
The fire district budget and commissioner election will take place 2-9 p.m. Feb. 16 at 461 Stagecoach Road.
For information visit www.millstonefire. com.