Fire Budget Approved, Incumbents Win in Both Fire Districts, Though Two Special Questions Fail in District 2

With a total 395 votes cast, voters approved Toms River Fire District No. 1’s annual budget Saturday.

However, as of Tuesday evening, Toms River Fire District No. 2 results had not been released. A call placed noon Friday, today to the district released the results.

In Fire District No. 1, 212 residents voted yes and 183 voted no, on a tax rate of 4 cents per $100 of assessed value. The district, which is served by East Dover, Ocean Beach and Toms River Fire Companies 1 & 2, has an annual budget of $7.14 million with $4.55 million to be raised by taxes. That's $269,167 more than last year.

Running for two spots as fire commissioner in District No. 1 were candidate Donald Gough and incumbents Mark Autenrieth and Robert Romano. Romano received 315 votes, Autenrieth had 278 and Gough had 104. The incumbents were re-elected to three-year terms.

In Fire District No. 2, voters faced a budget of $3.04 million, with $2.89 million raised by taxes., which is up $100,000 over last year. Fire District 2’s budget question was approved by voters, 133 to 125.

In the District 2 fire commissioners election, incumbent Commissioners Robert J. Blank Jr. and Gary K. Licknack ran unopposed, recieving 196 and 205 votes, respectively.

Special questions for appropriations needed a 60 percent majority to pass.

Therefore, while questions for the purchase of a pumper, informational technology improvements and fire academy HVAC repairs passed in District 2, two questions did not. They were appropriations for apparatus, with 142 voting yes and 113 voting no; and fire prevention bureau vehicles question, with 142 voting yes and 114 voting no. All of these special questions passed in District 1.

On Tuesday, no results were available from District 2, which is served by Silverton Fire Department and Pleasant Plains Fire Department.

When asked why the results were not released Tuesday, District 2 said they were awaiting a call back from state officials due to the budget questions’ not passing.

Also results are unofficial and are scheduled to be ratified by the Toms River Fire Commissioners at its March meeting.

A call placed to the Ocean County Board of Elections Tuesday was referred to the Toms River Fire Commissioners.

Toms River Fire District No. 1 Administrator Bill Golkiewicz said results tabulated after polls closed Saturday evening again revealed extremely low voter turnout.

“We’re happy to see the budget passed, but had low turnout,” Golkiewicz said. “This was a very low turnout for a fire election, lower than normal.”

Three residents who often attend Toms River Township Council meetings spoke out at Tuesday’s meeting saying the fire election should be improved.

They were criticizing extremely low turnout, wondering why fire elections couldn’t be held with municipal ones, or calling for better explanations on budget questions and commissioner candidate bios.

Council President Gregory McGuckin responded that the election administration is decided by state law and would require amendments at that level. The township does not administer .

Golkiewicz, interviewed by phone Tuesday morning, said turnout was very low for in-person votes, as voters instead opted for absentee ballots.

“We’re seeing the largest number of votes are by those who automatically requested absentee ballots,” Golkiewicz said.

For example, 354 absentee votes were cast among the 704 total votes for three candidates in District No. 1. At Fire Company No. 3, voter turnout was lowest, with 16 votes cast in the budget question, for example.

A majority of absentee ballots voted against District No. 1’s budget. Results show 73 voted in favor and 130 voted against. The budget passed 212 to 183.