GOSHEN — Middle Township Committee Monday, March 15 knocked $11,000 off the budget of Fire District No. 4, which oversees the Goshen Volunteer Fire Company, Station 74.
Voters in Goshen defeated the $155,215 budget in the Saturday, Feb. 20 fire district election. Committee’s action reduced the budget to $144,215.
Mayor Susan DeLanzo and Committeeman Dan Lockwood said the reduction was taken from the district’s capital improvements fund, which they use for new fire trucks and similarly large expenses. The district had budgeted $22,000 for that fund and the governing body cut that in half.
DeLanzo said she would not cut from any area that dealt with public safety for the residents of Goshen as well as the volunteers.
Dozens of Goshen voters turned out at the Monday meeting to see what action the governing body would take on the defeated budget. Voters said the “no” vote on the budget was a statement to district commissioners to reign in spending.
Voters were particularly concerned with the commissioners’ plan last year to build a new $3 million firehouse to replace the existing building at 331 Route 47. Fire officials said the current building was too small for the company’s modern firefighting vehicles.
Even though the new firehouse project was not included in the 2010 budget, the voters still turned out. The district paid an architect over $30,000 out of its capital fund for the firehouse design.
The Goshen fire district is in a difficult tax situation because of its 17 square miles of coverage area nearly 12 square miles is owned by federal, state and local governments and other tax-exempt agencies. The burden, therefore, is spread between a relatively few taxpayers.
Ratables in the district actually decreased $192 million last year to $191 million this year.
Property owners in the district currently pay $81 per $1,000 of their property’s assessed value. This year’s tax rate will be set by the county when it receives the new budget.
Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com
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