I would like to bring the residents of Tabernacle up to date on the township committee’s decision to dissolve the fire district. The committee voted to dissolve the fire district on April 28. The resolution was not on the meeting agenda, it was placed there 10 minutes after the meeting started. The committee also did not provide written copies of the resolution. This is how the committee views open and honest government.
For months, the public has questioned the mayor and committee as to the status of the fire district. We were assured by Mayor Barton that the process would be discussed and the subcommittee’s findings would be discussed. The report by the subcommittee was not available at this meeting for the public to see or the committee to discuss. So we have a resolution that no one knows the details of, based on a subcommittee report that no one has seen, if it even exists, being voted on by the committee that has never publicly discussed the dissolution.
The secret of how the committee came to the conclusion to dissolve the district without ever having any public discussion is a question that every one should be asking. The attitude that “we know what’s best for you” should be of great concern to all of the citizens of Tabernacle. To the hundreds of people who showed up in December to support the fire company and district, your voices have been ignored. 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.
You no longer vote on any government budgets, no more school budgets, and now they will decide when and how much will be spent on fire equipment without any public input.
Is this the first step to a paid fire department, a full-time public safety director?
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.
Maybe it’s time to rethink whom we elect to the committee, maybe we need to show up at township meetings and let them know the back room deals are not going to continue. Maybe we need to let them know we know what is best for us and remind them they were elected to represent us not impose their agendas on us.
