FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – Voters in Freehold Township Fire District No. 2 have approved the purchase of a new fire vehicle and a $1.4 million budget to support the operation of the fire district during 2018.
There are two fire districts in Freehold Township. Fire District No. 2 is east of Route 9. Firefighting services are provided by the East Freehold Fire Company.
On Feb. 17, the date of the annual fire district election, voters approved two items sought by the Fire District No. 2 Board of Fire Commissioners: the 2018 operating budget and the purchase of a pumper truck at a cost not to exceed $750,000.
The fire district tax paid by the owner of a home assessed at the Freehold Township average will remain stable, according to the spending plan.
Gregory Brass, chairman of the Board of Fire Commissioners, said the fire district’s budget was approved in a vote of 96 yes to 55 no. He said the question proposing the purchase of the new vehicle was approved in a vote of 113 yes to 39 no.
In 2017, voters approved the collection of $1.16 million in taxes to support a $1.39 million budget for the fire district. The fire district’s tax rate was 4.3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation and the average home assessment was $388,672. The owner of that home paid $167 in fire district taxes.
The 2018 budget totals $1.4 million and will be supported through the collection of $1.19 million in taxes from the fire district’s residential and commercial property owners. The average home assessment has decreased to $388,000 and the tax rate will remain 4.3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a home assessed at the township average will continue to pay a $167 fire district tax.
The vehicle to be purchased is a 2020 Class A pumper truck. The vehicle will replace a 1999 pumper that is no longer serviceable, according to the Board of Fire Commissioners. The new truck will be paid for with funds that were previously approved by voters and set aside for capital expenditures, according to the board.
In the election for fire commissioners, incumbents Jeffrey Allen and Dennis Polo, and newcomer Patrick Coburn won terms on the board.
Allen and Polo ran unopposed for three-year terms, with Allen receiving 102 votes and Polo receiving 98 votes, according to Brass. Coburn won a contested race against David Simon for a two-year term. Coburn received 81 votes and Simon received 68 votes.
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.