Voters Reject 1 Fire Budget, Select Commissioners

COURT HOUSE –Voters in Dennis, Lower, Middle and Upper townships approved all but one of the 14 fire district budgets April 20, according to results from the Cape May County Clerk’s Office (https://bit.ly/32W3pGZ).Town Bank voters rejected the budget, with 123 voting yes and 129 voting no.   
Voters inUpper Township Fire District No. 2, Tuckahoe, approved the purchase of fire apparatus not in excess of $600,000, whileGoshen voters approved the purchase of a fire truck not to exceed $360,000.
Two districts had contested races for fire commissioner.
In Middle Township Fire District No. 2, Rio Grande, John Menz received 167 votes to Kirby Stiltner’s 55, and in Middle Township Fire District No. 4, Goshen,Robert K. Goodheart III, with 62 votes, and Thomas Campbell, with 48 votes, outpolled Richard Willey, with 39 votes, with one vote going to a write-in candidate (Jeffrey Devico) and one voteto abstain.
Dennis Township 
Fire District No. 1, Ocean View 
Board of Fire Commissioners, three-year term, vote for two 
Donald Tozer, 70; Jesse Gery, 64
Budget to be raised by taxation: $391,000: Yes, 60; No, 9
Fire District No. 2, Dennisville 
Board of Fire Commissioners, full, three-year term, vote for one 
Robert McClure Jr., 45 
Budget to be raised by taxation: $340,175: Yes, 42; No, 5 
Fire District No. 3, Belleplain 
Board of Fire Commissioners, full term, vote for two 
Tami Kern, 28; Joshua Pantelione, 27 
Board of Fire Commissioners, unexpired, two-year term, vote for one 
Milton Kern, 39 
Budget to be raised by taxation: $185,432.84: Yes, 30; No, 12
Lower Township 
Fire District No. 1, Villas 
Board of Fire Commissioners, three-year term, vote for two 
Linda Brannon, 142; Dale Gentek, 134; Karen Esslinger, 2 
Budget: $644,263.89 with $594,263.89 to be raised by taxation: Yes, 81; No, 78
Fire District No. 2, Town Bank 
Board of Fire Commissioners, three-year term, vote for two 
George A. Barger Jr., 224; Lewis H. Conley Jr., 232; Joseph O’Neill, 1; Robert Quinn Sr., 1; Daniel Anderson, 1; Blank, 1 
Budget: $1,275,100 with $1,015,100 to be raised by taxation: Yes, 123; No, 129 
Fire District No. 3, Erma 
Board of Fire Commissioners, three-year term, vote for two 
Gary Douglass Sr., 91; Dennis Robertson Sr., 85; Gregory Boris, 2 
Budget: $1,370,988 with $821,245 to be raised by taxation: Yes, 62; No, 36 
Middle Township 
Fire District No. 1, Court House 
Board of Fire Commissioners, three-year term, vote for two 
Keith P. Arenberg, 222; Joseph J. Trombetta, 233; Charles Marriner, 1; Tony Anzelone, 1; Kyle Lindholm, 1; David Atkinson, 1 
Budget to be raised by taxation: $1,470,838: Yes, 162; No, 93
Fire District No. 2, Rio Grande 
Board of Fire Commissioners, full, three-year term, vote for one 
Kirby Stiltner, 55; John L. Menz, 167 
Budget to be raised by taxation: $718,458.50: Yes,154; No, 61
Fire District No. 3, Green Creek 
Board of Fire Commissioners, three-year term, vote for two 
Paul D. Fritsch, 43; William J. Mulligan, 44  
Budget: $531,753 with $531,753 to be raised by taxation: Yes, 38; No, 9
Fire District No. 4, Goshen 
Board of Fire Commissioners, full, three-year term, vote for two 
Thomas Campbell, 48; Robert K. Goodheart III, 62; Richard Willey, 39; Jeffrey Devico, 1; Abstain, 1 
Budget to be raised by taxation: $229,827: Yes, 57; No, 30 
Question: Shall the fire district be authorized to purchase a firetruck for an amount not exceeding $360,000 and secure lease purchase financing relative to the purchase? Yes, 49; No, 38
Upper Township 
Fire District No. 1, Strathmere 
Board of Fire Commissioners, three-year term, vote for two 
Gary Riordan Jr., 22; Donna Diefenderfer, 23 
Budget to be raised by taxation: $96,494: Yes, 18; No, 6
Fire District No. 2, Tuckahoe 
Board of Fire Commissioners, three-year term, vote for two 
W. Scott Mauger, 55; William Wentz, 52 
Budget to be raised by taxation: $533,300: Yes, 49; No, 15 
Question 1: Shall the commissioners of Upper Township Fire District No. 2 be authorized to expend not in excess of $600,000 relative to the purchase of fire apparatus and to undertake lease purchase financing or such other applicable financing relative to the project? Yes, 53; No, 10 
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 over five years, for use by the fire company. Yes, 56; No, 8
Fire District No. 3, Marmora 
Board of Fire Commissioners, three-year term, vote for two 
Kurt Austin, 119; Jeffery McAfee, 118 
Budget to be raised by taxation: $659,988: Yes, 74; No, 43
Fire District No. 4, Seaville 
Board of Fire Commissioners, full, three-year term, vote for two 
Richard Stevens, 107; Charles Webb, 104; Matthew Steinthel, 1 
Budget: $596,910 with $587,635 to be raised by taxation: Yes, 106; No, 8