COURT HOUSE – With a change in the mail-in ballot requirements, fire districts in Cape May County, and those statewide, printed more ballots than ever – 2,816 throughout the county – that were mailed by the Cape May County Clerk’s Office to potential mail-in ballot voters prior to the Feb. 16 elections.
Voters who received those ballots may opt out of receiving further mail-in ballots. In accordance with a law signed in 2018 by Gov. Phil Murphy, voters must sign a document and return it to the County Clerk’s office. After that, they must visit a poll to cast a vote in future elections.
Fire district elections have historically have received little voter attention. Some districts receive 50 or fewer ballots to elect district commissioners and approve (or deny) a budget. A few districts in the upcoming election have a second question regarding purchase of apparatus or setting aside funds for future purchases of equipment.
Polls will remain open at firehouses in those districts that date from 2 to 9 p.m.
Those elections are held only in the four townships where fire districts are presided over by elected commissioners.
Those commissioners set the district budget for the coming year. They seek voter approval of the budget as well as any apparatus that may be required to be purchased.
Dennis Township
District 1 – Ocean View Fire House
Board of Fire Commissioners, three-year term, vote for two
John E. Berg Jr., Joseph J. Gurdgiel Jr.
Budget: $376,500
District 2 – Dennisville Fire House
Board of Fire Commissioners, full, three-year terms, vote for two
Edward F. Beck, Carla A. Coffey
Budget: $323,437
District 3 – Belleplain Fire House
Full term, one seat, vote for one
Board of Fire Commissioners, William Hilton Jr.
Unexpired two-year term, one seat open,
No nomination made.
Budget: $176,899
Lower Township
District 1 – Villas Fire House
Board of Fire Commissioners, Two-year term, vote for one
Justin Jordan, Carrise Mornick, Richard “Sambo” Sambenedetto
Budget: $612,700 with $562,700 to be raised by taxation.
District 2 – Town Bank Fire House
Board of Fire Commissioners, Three-year term, vote for one
James H. Andrews Jr.
Budget: $1,212,500 with $992,500 to be raised by taxation
Question 2: Shall the fire district purchase a new aerial tower apparatus cost not to exceed $1,700,000, using $1 million in reserved capital funds approved Feb. 21, 2009 and lease purchase financing for remaining $700,000.
District 3 – Erma Fire House
Board of Fire Commissioners, Three-year term, vote for one
Jeffrey Van Mourik
Budget: $1,350,539 with $764,133 to be raised by taxation
Middle Township
District 1 – Court House Fire House
Board of Fire Commissioners, Full three-year term, vote for two
Lewis P. Hand Jr., Philip B. Woodrow Sr.
Budget: $1,340,937.50
District 2 – Rio Grande Fire House
Board of Fire Commissioners, Full three-year term, vote for two
Jean M. Zimmerman, Salvatore J. DeSimone
Budget: $674,600.
Question 2: Resolved that a sum not to exceed $975,000 of the reserve be authorized for fire apparatus.
District 3 – Green Creek Fire House
Board of Fire Commissioners, Three-year term, vote for two
Edward Lord, Clay Simmons
Budget: $508,155
District 4 – Goshen Fire House
Board of Fire Commissioners, Three-year terms, vote for two
Joseph F. Eagan IV, Cristina McKenney, Shannon McKenney
Budget: $220,903
Upper Township
District 1 – Strathmere Fire House
Board of Fire Commissioners, Three-year term, vote for two
Karen Mitchell, Joseph Boland
Budget: $90,987
District 2 – Tuckahoe Fire House
Board of Fire Commissioners, Three-year term, vote for two
Ronald Mayne, Samuel Repici
Budget: $523,300
Question 2: A capital appropriation for capital expenditures over the next five budget years, the amount to be raised is $25,000 per year, totaling $125,000 for five years for use by the fire company.
District 3 – Marmora Fire House
Board of Fire Commissioners, Three-year term, vote for one
Jeffrey L. Pierson Jr.
Budget: $603,355
Question 2: Shall the Board of Commissioners…be authorized to appropriate from its restricted Fund Balance in the 2019 …annual budget $187,479 for use in connection with new vehicle lease?
District 4 – Seaville Fire House
Board of Fire Commissioners, Three-year term, vote for three
Ed Buchanan, Al Davis, Don Fencher
Budget: $574,102 with $564,802 to be raised by taxation
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