By ROBERT LINNEHAN | The Voorhees Sun
Residents will take to the polls on Saturday, Feb. 20 to decide the fate of the Voorhees Fire District 2010 budget and two candidates vying for one spot on the Fire Commission.
Fire Chief Jim Pacifico reported that the proposed 2010 budget features a zero percent increase for the fire tax rate. If approved by voters, the tax rate would remain at 12.4 cents per every $100 of assessed property value, Fire Commissioner Bob Dougherty said.
Dougherty said the budget is fiscally responsible and urged all residents to come out and vote in the upcoming election. The budget, he said, maintains crucial fire district services that the township has come to expect with no tax increase.
“Hopefully we get voters out that vote positively for the budget so it’s approved. There’s no tax increase and we worked hard for that to happen. Due to the current economic times it’s important to hold the line on things, and that’s what we tried to do,” he said. “The dollar is the most important thing right now, but we didn’t want to give up any level of service. Our services will stay the same and so will our tax rate, that’s the important thing.”
Polls for the election will be open from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Voting locations are at Voorhees Fire Stations 2 and 3, plus the Ashland Presbyterian Church.
Candidate Elizabeth McAvoy — a 15-year incumbent — and candidate Carmen Console — who served on the commission from 2006 to 2008 — are challenging for the three-year seat on the Voorhees Fire Commission.
McAvoy said her experience as a commissioner for the past 15 years makes her very experienced to once again serve the residents of Voorhees as one of the fire commissioners. She’s fought hard in the past to keep the tax rate down, she said, and for the new firehouse.
“I’m fighting for the taxpayers. I voted for no increase in the tax rate this year and I fully support our volunteers,” she said. “We have done everything we can to not put any more pressure on our taxpayers. That’s the important thing for us right now.”
Console said he chose to run again for the commission because he wanted to see the district’s tax money put to good use. In the past several years he stumped hard for the new fire house, he said, and wanted to ensure that residents see their tax dollars spent wisely.
“A vote for me would ensure a fiscally responsible member on the board to be sure that all the expenditures the board makes will be wise and absolutely needed,” he said. “I want to preserve the volunteers in our district. They’re an important part of our fire service and help us keep our costs down by millions of dollars.”
For additional information and polling locations, please visit the Voorhees Fire District Web site at voorheesfire.org. If interested in volunteering for the district, please call Pacifico at 783–6630 or stop by either fire station on Monday evenings at 7 p.m.
