Yesterday, the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ Local Finance Board (LFB) took formal action to approve the dissolution of Plainsboro Fire District (PFD) No. 1. The LFB voted 5-0 to approve the township’s request to dissolve the PFD.*
This action will result in the transfer of the fire district’s operations and functions to Plainsboro Township for oversight and inclusion within the existing township’s Department of Public Safety.
The township decided to take this action when it learned that with little or no communication to the township, the PFD placed a referendum ballot question to a vote by Plainsboro residents on February 17, 2024. The referendum sought residents’ approval for a budget increase of $1.5m in the amount to be raised through new taxation. The PFD budget for the 2024 operating year far exceeded the state mandated 2% limit allowed ($53,000 based on the 2023 PFD budget of $2.65m) by New Jersey law. There was no information or explanation regarding the need for this drastic increase, and the referendum was rejected by the voters, 1,091 to 200. The township requested backup as to the factors driving this increase but did not receive a proper response. The PFD claimed that it needed to more than double the current staffing levels of thirteen firefighters to meet the demands of increased calls.
In April of 2024, Mayor Peter Cantu requested an operational study be performed by the review team from the Division of Local Government Services located within the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. “I am most concerned about the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of the Township of Plainsboro. That is of paramount concern to me and the rest of the Township Committee members,” Cantu said. In June, the Local Government Review Team started an operational study of the PFD.
In addition, the township uncovered that, in violation of state law, the financial audits and reporting of the PFD were seriously delinquent and requests for financial information were not fulfilled in a timely manner. The last independent audit on file with the state Division of Local Government Services was for the fiscal year of 2021. Although requests for financial data went back to May 2024, only as of August 1, 2024 did unaudited financial data - through the period ending December 31, 2023 - become available. Based on the best available data provided to the township’s independent financial accounting experts “we projected that the PFD would overspend their 2024 budget by as much as $300,000”, said John Swisher, Partner of Suplee, Clooney & Company.
Going forward, the township plans to continue to work closely with fire employees and volunteers to ensure a smooth transition, engage in a public communication campaign to inform residents of the changes and the benefits of the new structure, establish a monitoring and evaluation framework to assess the effectiveness of the restructured fire department structure and make any necessary adjustments, as needed.
“We have a lot of work to do, but the township is committed to ensuring that the residents of Plainsboro continue to receive high-quality, efficient fire protection and emergency services, and we believe that this restructuring is in the best interest of the community”, commented Mayor Cantu and Neil Lewis, Committeeman and Public Safety Liaison.
*The township introduced an ordinance to dissolve the fire district on July 24, 2024 and made a formal application to the state on September 10, 2024 pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:5A-20. The dissolution will be effective December 31, 2024.