Toms River Fire District Elections: What You Need To Know

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Fire district elections are underway in Toms River Tuesday. The annual elections include a vote on the districts' budgets and election of fire commissioners.

Voting is until 9 p.m. and open to registered voters.

Toms River has two fire districts. Each has a set of fire commissioners and a budget to be voted on. In Toms River, Fire District 1 receives some reimbursement from Fire District 2 for joint expenses of the two districts, including costs for the Fire Training Academy, the Bureau of Fire Prevention, and communications. The budgets also pay for training, education and protective gear for the firefighters, who are volunteers.

The fire budgets amount to 6.8 cents per $100 of assessed value; for a home assessed at $300,000, that amounts to $204 annually.

Here is where to vote, who's running for fire commissioner and the budget questions on the ballot.

FIRE DISTRICT 1

There are three polling places:

Toms River Fire Company 2, 45 West Water St.: General election districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 13, 14, 18, 19, 27, 34, 36, 37, 40, 54 60 and 63.

Ocean Beach Fire Company, 40 Kittiwake Ave., Lavallette: General election districts 8 and 26.

East Dover Fire Company, Fischer Boulevard: General election districts 7, 11, 12, 16, 17, 28, 31, 32, 33, 38, 39, 41, 42 53 and 57.

CANDIDATES FOR FIRE COMMISSIONER (Choose one): Raymond Latshaw; John Sudia

BALLOT QUESTIONS:

QUESTION 1. Shall the Board of Fire Commissioners of Fire District No. 1 in Toms River Township be authorized to budget $8,505,387 in the year 2021 with $5,674,042.63 to be raised by taxation?

About this question: The portion being raised by taxation is increasing $84,573.28 over 2020. District No. 2 provides revenue for its share of the costs in operating the Bureau of Fire Prevention, Fire Communication Center River and the Fire Training Center. Other revenue comes from inspection fees; usage fees; from interest earned on investments; from grants; and from surplus.

QUESTION 2: Shall the Board of Fire Commissioners of Fire District No. 1 in Toms River Township be authorized to appropriate $60,000 a year for the next 5 years for the purchase of replacement Fire Chief and Asst. Chief vehicles?

About this question: This appropriation would continue a program that replaces fire chiefs' vehicles on a rolling program of one vehicle per year. The replaced vehicle is passed down to the assistant chief; the fire companies get at least 13 years out of each vehicle. The $60,000 cost includes the vehicle and the gear needed to outfit it for fire company service.

QUESTION 3: Shall the Board of Fire Commissioners of Fire District No. 1 in Toms River Township be authorized to purchase replacement Aerial Ladder Truck in the amount of $1,200,000 using surplus funds collected in prior budgets?

About this question: The funding for the purchase of this truck was approved by voters in prior years. Now voters must give approval to spend the money for the aerial truck, which replaces a truck that is more than 20 years old and at the end of its useful lifespan.

QUESTION 4: Shall the Board of Fire Commissioners of Fire District No. 1 in Toms River Township be authorized to purchase (2) utility body trucks and (1) pickup truck using surplus funds collected in prior budgets?

About this question: The funding for the purchase of this truck was approved by voters in prior years. Now voters must give approval to spend the money for these vehicles, which replace ones that are at the end of its useful lifespan.

QUESTION 5: Shall the Board of Fire Commissioners of Fire District No. 1 in Toms River Township be authorized to appropriate $150,000 for repaving of the outdoor training area and additional upgrades at the Toms River Township Fire Training Center? Toms River Board of Fire Commissioners District No. 2 will reimburse the Toms River Board of Fire Commissioners District No. 1 in the amount of $54,000.00 for their share of the cost of these upgrades.

About this question: The funding for this work was approved by voters in prior years. Now voters must give approval to spend the money.

FIRE DISTRICT 2

Pleasant Plains Fire Company, 40 Clayton Ave. or Silverton Fire Company, 15 Kettle Creek Road: Registered voters residing in general election district 14 and 63 on Coulter Street, Leawood Avenue, Cayuga Court, Shoshone Court, Navajo Court, Cheyenne Court, Whitesville Road, Ridgeway Road, Branch Drive, Pueblo Court, Arapaho Court, Smokerise Lane and Iroquois Court, and registered voters in election district 37 residing on Albert Avenue, Toms River Walk, Janet Road, Parkway Drive, Marlane Road, Marbil Avenue, Glenwood Road (from 1130 Glenwood north), Lakewood Road (from 1127 Lakewood north) and Whitesville Road shall vote in Toms River Township Fire District No. 2 and not in Fire District No. 1.

CANDIDATES FOR FIRE COMMISSIONER (Choose two): Joseph G. Duff, Brian Geoghegan, Richard Heroy, Daniel Prodoehl

BALLOT QUESTION 1: Shall the Board of Fire Commissioners of Fire District No. 2 Toms River Township be authorized to expend $3,495, 112.79 in Budget Year 2021 with $2,910,320. 79 the amount to be raised by taxation?

BALLOT QUESTION 2: Shall the Board of Fire Commissioners of Fire District No. 2, Toms River Township be authorized to appropriate $54,000.00 representing Fire District No. 2's share of the total cost of $150,000.00 for repaving of the outdoor training area and additional upgrades at the Toms River Township Fire Training Center?

Polling locations are open until 9 p.m.