FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – Voters in Freehold Township Fire District No. 1 have rejected the proposed 2018 budget put forth by the Board of Fire Commissioners, while approving the purchase of a new vehicle.
There are two fire districts in Freehold Township. Fire District No. 1 is west of Route 9. Firefighting services are provided by the Freehold Township Independent Fire Company No. 1.
The Board of Fire Commissioners proposed a 2018 budget that totaled $1.3 million and called for the entire amount to be collected in the form of a tax levy from the fire district’s residential and commercial property owners.
On Feb. 17, during the annual fire district election, voters defeated the budget, 127 no to 109 yes, Fire Commissioner Andrew Story said.
Following the voters’ rejection of the budget, the members of the Township Committee will review the proposed spending plan and determine how much money needs to be raised in local taxes to support the operation of Fire District No. 1 this year.
The committee members may approve the $1.3 million tax levy that was proposed by the fire commissioners or they may authorize a smaller tax levy to be collected.
This marks the second consecutive year Fire District No. 1’s proposed budget was defeated by voters. In 2017, a budget totaling $1.2 million that would have been supported through the collection of $1.1 million in taxes was rejected at the polls.
Following their review of the spending plan and discussions with the fire commissioners, the Township Committee authorized a tax levy of $896,500, which was a reduction of $239,500 from the proposed $1.1 million tax levy. The total budget was reduced from $1.2 million to $1 million.
The fire district tax rate of the approved 2017 budget was 2.7 cents per $100 of assessed valuation and the average home assessment in Freehold Township was $388,672. The owner of that home paid $105 in fire district taxes.
In 2018, the average home assessment has decreased to $388,000, but the proposed budget increased the fire district tax rate to 3.84 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Had the budget been approved by voters, the owner of a home assessed at the township average would have paid $149 in fire district taxes, an increase of $44 from 2017, according to the spending plan.
A notice will be sent out to inform residents of when the governing body will authorize the tax levy for Fire District No. 1’s 2018 budget.
While the budget was defeated, voters in the fire district approved the purchase of a combination pumper tanker fire engine at a cost not to exceed $1.3 million. The purchase was approved in a vote of 128 yes to 106 no, according to Story.
With the purchase approved, the fire commissioners are authorized to issue bonds or notes or to enter into a lease-purchase agreement to pay for the vehicle, according to the board.
In the election for fire commissioners, newcomers Michael Fogarty and Steve Lyngal won three-year terms on the board in an uncontested race. Incumbents Joseph Colon and Shyamal Joshi did not seek to retain their seats. Fogarty, who ran in 2017, received 152 votes and Lyngal received 131 votes, according to Story.
A fire district tax is one component of a property owner’s tax bill, which also includes Monmouth County taxes, municipal taxes, school taxes and other assessments. Individuals pay more or less in taxes depending on the assessed value of their home and/or property.