In the letter: Tabernacle Township Committee’s dissolution of fire district not done correctly” dated June 25, many of the “facts” are misleading, confusing or just plain wrong.
“The resolution was not on the meeting agenda, it was placed there 10 minutes after the meeting started.” Yes, the resolution was not on the agenda. The agenda was published as usual on the Friday three days before the meeting. The committee, however, was waiting for information from the state before deciding whether to proceed. The state didn’t respond until Monday afternoon. It was the very first thing mentioned after the opening attendance roll call — not “10 minutes after the meeting started.” Though copies were not available for the public at the meeting, the resolution was read aloud by Deputy Mayor Stephen Lee IV, a far cry from “a resolution that no one knows the details of.”
“The committee has not only voted to dissolve the district, it has voted to take away the last thing you get to vote on concerning your tax dollars.” Besides being misleading, this statement completely ignores currently pending legislation (2014–2015 Assembly №2947, sponsored by Assemblyman Ronald S. Dancer), which would eliminate the public vote on fire district budgets under the annual cap. The Tabernacle Fire District has publicly endorsed this and similar legislation in the past. In other words, this is likely to have happened even if the committee kept the fire district.
“Is this the first step to a paid fire department, a full-time public safety director?” This is totally unfounded. The committee has made it clear that it wants to continue working with the volunteer fire company, and the committee at the June 9 meeting unanimously rejected the idea of a public safety director. So the answer to this is, flatly, no.
“We already have an emergency squad that bills you and your insurance company for your ride to the hospital, yet still receives its vehicles, gas, insurance and building plus $70,000 from our tax dollars.”
What does this have to do with the fire district? Regardless, starting last year, if you are a resident of Tabernacle, the rescue squad will send a bill to your insurance company, but not send you one.
If it does erroneously send you a bill, the committee has made it clear that you do not need to pay it. Additionally, the $70,000 is due to be reduced in upcoming years as the actual long-term revenue impact of the new billing structure becomes clear.
Earlier this year, the committee discussed the possibility of reducing this amount sooner.
This idea was rejected, in large part because of legal fees that are being incurred by the rescue squad due to the lawsuit brought against it by resident Fran Brooks.
“Maybe it’s time to rethink whom we elect to the committee.” In a democratic society, this question should be constantly asked by every citizen about every publicly elected body.
If the author of this letter felt this strongly, the author should run for the township committee. As I recall, committeewoman Kim Brown was the only Republican candidate running in the primary, with no Democrats running.
The author of the letter feels like a Monday morning quarterback, misstating or misconstruing facts in an attempt to impose his or her own agenda on the rest of the township.
Jason Litowitz
