ANOTHER SPECIAL FD "BUDGET" MEETING

Meeting Was Advertised To Address Budget Only, But Agenda Says Its About Personnel

The Fire District has advertised a meeting TODAY at 7 pm at Relief fire house, 17 Pine Street. Residents are urged to attend this meeting.

The advertisement says the meeting is for approval of the proposed amended 2026 budget and address budget related matters. However, the Agenda on the FD web page says the meeting will address qualifications for Fire Department Officers and will appoint Officers.

Former Fire District Commissioner Joe Sams wrote to the current Board of Commissioners stating:

“You have advertised for a special meeting that is solely for the 2026 budget, but your agenda has a resolution to accept qualifications of officers and second resolution to appoint officers. Under NJ law a special meeting can only address what is advertised to address. Therefor moving on the personnel matters would be an Open Public Meetings Act violation.”

The Fire District is currently defending itself from litigation regarding alleged Open Public Meetings Act violations.

Mr. Sams also wrote to the Commissioners cautioning them relative to “proposed stipend officers”. Sams said none have “run a call for which they were not paid. New Jersey law caps volunteers at $10K after which they are considered paid employees. Which is a problem because Mount Holly doesn’t have paid fire services.” He also said that the Board may be headed for trouble if they make these non-members officers and then find they have to stop running calls as they exceed the $10K cap.

The meeting promises to be lively for these issues and residents are encouraged to attend.