The boards that govern fire districts in New Jersey now have the option to hold elections for fire commissioners and budgets on the date of the general election in November.
Earlier this month, Gov. Chris Christie signed legislation into law that was sponsored by Assemblyman Ron Dancer (R-Monmouth, Ocean, Middlesex, Burlington).
Under Dancer’s bill, the option of moving the date of a fire district’s annual election – during which voters elect fire commissioners and vote on the fire district’s budget for the year – to November would save taxpayers the expense of holding the election in February, which is when fire district elections are presently conducted, according to the assemblyman.
Moving the date of the fire district election from February to November will require the adoption of a resolution by the board of fire commissioners of a fire district, according to Dancer.
“It makes sense. More people will come out to vote in November,” Dancer said. “With barely 2 percent of voters participating in fire district elections, the record speaks for itself. Taxpayers are on the hook for the cost of special elections early in the year. With this choice, (a) board of fire commissioners can increase voter participation and save taxpayer money.
“Nearly half the fire districts in the state have budgets in excess of $1 million and, keep in mind, fire district commissioners and firemen are also taxpayers who want their life-saving and property-saving services to be cost-efficient, while not compromising the safety of the public and themselves by having the necessary and adequate fire protection equipment,” Dancer said.
