TUCKAHOE – Voters approved the purchase of a new fire truck in April for Upper Township Fire District No. 2, Tuckahoe. Soon after, the volunteer fire company made a social media post celebrating the truck’s purchase. That post has since been removed.
Nowhere in this process was the issue brought before the state’s Local Finance Board, as is required for any large, financed capital purchase. A check of the agendas for the Local Finance Board shows that the fire district has still not sought state approval.
An official of the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Nov. 3 said nothing changed. At the end of summer, DCA informed the fire district that a capital purchase of this type must be done by the district if public funds are used. It cannot be done by the volunteer fire company.
The DCA spokesperson said that since the voter approval came in 2021, this purchase would most likely be in the 2022 budget, which is also sent to the state for review before it’s adopted.
The 2022 budget should reveal if the truck is being purchased, how, and by what entity. The required state approvals would still be needed.
