by Vic Monaco, Managing Editor
The governing bodies in Millstone and Plumsted will decide on proposed fire tax hikes after a small number of residents took the time to have their say, which translated into slim rejections of fire district budgets.
In Plumsted, the New Egypt Fire Company’s proposed budget of $1.2 million was rejected by a mere seven votes, with 78 residents voting no and 71 voting yes, according to Gene Pullen, chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners there.
In Millstone, a proposed budget of $1.84 million was rejected on a 157-121 vote, according to David Markunas, secretary of the Board of Fire Commissioners for Millstone Fire District 1.
A second question in Millstone, asking voters’ permission to appropriate $58,951 above the 4 percent tax levy cap, was rejected 175-102, Mr. Markunas reported. It required 60 percent of the vote in order to pass.
Former Commissioner Larry Cier and Joan Drive resident Donna Penn were elected to three-year terms for two vacant seats on the fire board in Millstone, garnering 231 and 221 votes, respectively, Mr. Markunas said. They defeated Van Arsdale Circle resident Vincent Castronova.
In Plumsted, incumbents Aaron Heller and Patricia Tilghman ran unopposed for two, three-year seats.
Officials with Millstone Fire District 1 were hoping township voters would look favorably on a budget that would have raised the fire tax from 8.6 cents to 9.94 cents per $100 of assessed value. For the owner of a home assessed at the township’s $399,924 average, that would result in a $397.52 fire tax bill — about $53.59 more than last year.
In Plumsted, the proposed fire tax increase topped 3 cents, moving the rate from 6.88 cents to 9.47 cents per $100 of assessed value. But an official previously indicated that other municipal and county tax rates are going down because of new local responsibilities, as the fire company created its own fire marshal’s office in January.
Packet Group staff writer Geoffrey Wertime contributed to this story.

