Defeated District 3 fire tab
will be reviewed by council
By kathy baratta
Staff Writer

HOWELL — Voters rejected the budget proposed by the fire commissioners in District 3 during the annual fire district elections held Feb. 16. District 3 is based at the Southard Fire Department, Route 9 near Friendship Road.

The budget that was defeated by a vote of 215 to 205 was for $991,916. A total of $981,916 was to be raised by taxation. The budget listed total operating expenses at $898,700, with a $93,216 debt service appropriation. There are no capital expenditures projected in the budget.

The fire district tax was projected to remain stable at 10.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. This meant the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 in District 3 would continue to pay an approximate annual fire tax of $105. The owner of a home assessed at $200,000 would continue to pay $210.

With the rejection of the District 3 budget, the Township Council will review the spending plan within the month.

Voters elected firefighter Doug Hessel-barth, 228 votes, to a three-year term as a commissioner. He defeated Norinne Kelly, who received 181 votes, and firefighter Adam Motto, who received 73 votes.

District 1, based at the Squankum Fire Company, Route 547, saw its budget and an additional referendum question approved by voters.

District 1 had one, three-year term available with only one candidate seeking it — incumbent Tom Matthews, who took his fourth term as commissioner. Matthews, a firefighter in the district for 12 years who is presently the fire chief, received 26 votes from a total of 29 voters.

The District 1 budget which was approved was $535,000, with $498,000 to be raised by taxation. The company’s total operating expenses are $535,000 with no debt service projected and capital expenditures of $125,000.

The amount paid by District 1 taxpayers for the fire tax is increasing about 1.5 cents in 2002, according to Matthews, who is the clerk of the commissioners. Matthews said that in 2001 the fire tax was 22.8 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. It will rise to 24.3 cents per $100.

This means the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 will pay approximately $243 in fire taxes this year, up from $228 in 2001. The owner of a home assessed at $200,000 will pay $486 in fire taxes this year, up from $456.

Also approved by District 1 voters, 25-4, was a measure that will provide the district’s volunteer firefighters with $1,000 annuities.

District 2, based at the Adelphia Fire Company, Route 524, also saw its budget approved. With a vote of 31-8, voters approved an $811,200 budget, in which $741,200 will be raised by taxation. The company’s total operating expenses are $541,200 with no projected debt service. Capital expenditure for the year is $45,000 for the purchase of a chief’s replacement vehicle.

The fire tax will remain 9 cents per $100 of assessed valuation meaning the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 in District 2 will continue to pay about $90 in fire taxes. The owner of a home assessed at $200,000 will continue to pay about $180.

The two-year unexpired term of former firefighter and commissioner Frank Biddle Jr., who passed away in October, remained Thomas P. Ward’s, a firefighter, who was appointed to the position upon Biddle’s passing. Ward received 40 votes from a total of 42 votes cast, two of them absentee ballots.

A three-year term went to incumbent commissioner and firefighter George Patten, who now moves into his third term, with 35 votes.

Voters in District 4, based at the Ramtown Firehouse, Ramtown-Greenville Road, approved a $535,000 budget in a 51-4 vote. A total of $521,430 is to be raised by taxation. Operating expenses are projected at $361,902, with a $73,098 debt service appropriation. Capital expenditure for the year is $100,000.

In 2002 the fire tax paid in District 4 will be about 1.5 cents higher than the 10 cents per $100 of assessed valuation property owners paid in 2001. At 11.5 cents per $100, the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 will pay about $111 in fire taxes this year, an increase of $10 over 2001. The owner of a house assessed at $200,000 will pay about $222 in fire taxes, an increase of $20.

There was one three-year fire commissioner’s term available for which there was one candidate, incumbent and life-member firefighter and former fire chief William B. McMahon Sr., who received 53 of the 55 votes cast.

District 5, based at the Freewood Acres Fire Company, Route 9 near West Fifth Street, will have 30 days from the Feb. 16 election to schedule a runoff election to clear the tie between James Davison, who is a fireman in District 2, and George Pettignano, an incumbent firefighter seeking a third term as a fire commissioner. Each man received 40 votes for one, three-year term.

Fifth-term incumbent commissioner William Donahue secured the other three-year term with 60 votes.

The 2002 District 5 budget was approved at $746,870, with $597,000 to be raised by taxation. The total operating expenses for the year is $696,870 with no projected debt service. Capital expenditure for the year is $50,000.

The fire tax in District 5 held at 19 cents per $100 assessed valuation. This means the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 will continue to pay an approximate annual fire tax of $190. The owner of a home assessed at $200,000 will continue to pay $380 in annual fire taxes.