Fire Taxes Totaling $1.76M Up for Vote in Montville

Annual fire elections are Saturday, when Montville Township residents can vote on their respective fire district's proposed 2013 budget and elect members to the Board of Fire Commissioners.

Each of Montville Township's three fire districts—Montville, Towaco and Pine Brook—has its own five-member board that creates budgets and collects property taxes to maintain and support the town's volunteer fire departments.

The proposed tax levies this year total $1,764,505. If a budget is voted down, as Towaco's was in 2011 for the first time in history, it is sent to the township governing body for review. All of the budgets passed last year.

Montville is one of only three towns in Morris County, along with Hanover and Parsippany, that has fire districts.

Polls are open from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at the local firehouses:

• Fire District No. 1 (Montville): Montville Fire Department, 108 Main Road, Montville
• Fire District No. 2 (Towaco): Towaco Fire Department, 27 Whitehall Road, Towaco
• Fire District No. 3 (Pine Brook): Pine Brook Fire Department, 47 Bloomfield Ave., Pine Brook

Fire district numbers are on property tax statements, and the boundaries are described on the township website.

The fire commissioner elections are uncontested this year. Fire commissioners serve three-year terms. The ballots have room for write-in candidates.

The Candidates

• In Montville (Vote for one): James Berry
• In Towaco (Vote for one): William E. MacStudy
• In Pine Brook (Vote for two): Ronald R. Cain Jr. and Timothy J. Wright