Fire Taxes Totaling $1.76M Up for Vote in Montville

Annual election will be held Saturday.

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 …

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All Fire District Budgets Pass [RESULTS, PHOTOS]

About 250 residents voted in the annual fire elections.

Budget question results Fire commissioner incumbents were elected to three-year terms, running unopposed. Dan Pagano received five write-in votes in Towaco. Montville had two additional questions, both of which passed. A measure to transfer $100,000 from the fire district's general fund to a capital line item for the acquisition of fire apparatus passed 46 to 9. A plan to buy a replacement chief's vehicle and associated equipment for no more than $50,000 with those funds passed 45 to 10. Montville and Pine Brook proposed the same tax levy as last year, $567,480 and $540,000, respectively. Towaco proposed a 1.8 percent increase to the tax levy, with a proposal of $646,620. Towaco's budget statement says debt service and the cost of …

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Five Things You Need To Know Today

5 Things You Need to Know About the Fire Elections

Who's running, proposed budgets, when and where to go.

If you're going to miss heading to the polls for school elections in April (the Board of Education vote was moved to November) you have another chance to cast a ballot this weekend. Annual fire elections are here. From 2 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Montville Township is one of three towns in Morris County where voters will be casting ballots in their respective fire districts to elect fire commissioners and vote on proposed fire district budgets. Each of Montville Township's three districts—Montville, Towaco and Pine Brook—has its own five-member board that creates budgets and collects property taxes to support the town's volunteer fire departments. Here are 5 Things You Need to Know About the Fire Elections.

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Jake Remaly

11:05 pm on Saturday, February 18, 2012

The proposed budgets in all three districts passed. Story to come.   more ›

Poll: Who's Voting in Fire Elections?

The annual elections have gained more attention.

Each February, Montville Township registered voters get the chance to have their say on budgets and fire commissioners in their respective fire districts—but not all voters take advantage of the opportunity. The township is one of three municipalities in Morris County, along with Hanover and Parsippany, that has annual fire elections. Montville Township has three districts: Montville, Towaco and Pine Brook. Voter turnout historically is low, but the elections have drawn increased attention since voters rejected the proposed Towaco fire district budget last year for the first time in history. We want to know, will you be voting? Why or why not? Take our poll below and tell us in the comments. This year's vote is Saturday from 2 to 9 p.m. …

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Commissioner: Fire Elections Support Volunteers

Residents can vote on fire district budgets Saturday.

Firefighting is a dangerous job that can involve rescuing people from crushed cars, clearing trees, helping evacuate residents during floods and extinguishing fires, Pine Brook fire commissioner and firefighter Tony Speciale said. "It's not an easy thing to do," he said. "It comes down to training, procedures. It's not like you just walk into this." Speciale on Wednesday said voters should support their annual fire district elections because the fire budgets support the town's volunteer firefighters. He said a flier that was distributed in town saying fire districts are an inefficient use of tax dollars, and compared Montville Township's fire expenses to Wayne's, did not take into account all of Wayne's spending on fire services, Speciale …

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Flier: Fire Districts Are Inefficient Use of Tax Dollars

'If the budgets are defeated, they will be discussed publicly at Township Committee meetings,' a flier from Dan Pagano says.

Fliers about the annual fire elections, in which residents may vote on proposed fire tax levies raising a total of $1.75 million, were left on the windshields of cars parked at the during the most recent Board of Education meeting. They're identified as being paid for by Dan Pagano, a Towaco resident and Tea Party member who last year opposed the Towaco fire district's budget, which was defeated by voters for the first time in history. The flier: Ready For Higher Taxes? Vote in the Fire Elections Saturday Feb. 18th 2-9 p.m. Montville Fire Dist. #1, 108 Main Road, Montville Towaco Fire Dist. #2, 27 Whitehall Road, Towaco Pine Brook Fire Dist. #3, 47 Bloomfield Ave., Pine Brook Montville residents are taxed almost $2 million annually for 3 …

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Residents to Vote on Fire Tax Levies Totaling $1.75M

Commissioner incumbents running unopposed. Towaco's proposed levy has 1.8 percent increase.

Montville Township registered voters may cast ballots in their respective fire district budget and fire commissioner elections next Saturday, Feb. 18. Each district—Montville, Towaco and Pine Brook—has its own five-member Board of Fire Commissioners that creates budgets and collects taxes to support the volunteer fire departments. Combined, they collect about $1.75 million a year in taxes, which are part of homeowners' property tax bills. Montville Township is one of three municipalities in Morris County, along with Hanover and Parsippany, that has annual fire elections. Voter turnout historically is low. The elections drew increased attention last year because voters rejected the proposed Towaco fire district budget for the first time in …

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