"YOU ARE THREATENING ME"

Fire District Commissioner Responds To Director Carty's Email

The Reporter acquired a September 2025 email from Fire Commissioner Jeena Sheppard which she sent to Fire Services Director Jason Carty expressing concern that his name didn’t appear on a list of fire fighters she reviewed. Sheppard asked Carty for “the active fire fighter list over the last few years”.

Prior to Sheppard’s inquiry, fire fighter Tim Fuller testified at a Fire District meeting that Carty was removed from the Relief Fire Company roster in 2007 because of a complaint Fuller lodged against Carty which was upheld by Relief “Charge Committee”.

And there was other evidence that Carty had been removed from membership. During January of this year, the former Secretary of Relief Fire Company Joe Sams stated that Carty’s application to be reappointed as a member of Relief Fire Company was denied because Carty “needed to reapply to the District” and “You have yet to re-apply”.

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So Sheppard’s inquiry was well based, but Carty’s response was less than respectful:

“Show me documentation that I was ever removed … Moving forward you should really better educate yourself on how the District actually operates … you continue to discriminate against me for several reasons specifically our previous relationship.” Jason Carty 9/16/25

The testy email exchange, which was obtained via the Open Public Records Act, was heavily redacted, but it was clear that Commissioner Sheppard was concerned by Mr. Carty’s mention of a prior personal relationship, and by whatever was redacted.

“As an elected commissioner, I believe I am allowed to ask for the active volunteer firefighter list over the last few years… I understand that you are threatening me with a previous personal relationship we had. I understand the implication that I wouldn’t want that public ... If you follow through with your threats, please have your attorney contact me.” Commissioner Sheppard, 9/16/25

Since that time, investigators with the Parker McCay law firm recommended the termination of Director Carty. But the Mount Holly Fire District Commissioners have twice voted on the recommendation and twice failed to terminate his employ. Carty remains on paid suspension until he is either fired on brought back to active duty.

Despite this public controversy, or perhaps because of it, Mr. Carty took to Facebook to say the personnel investigation of him by Parker McCay was “biased” and “spearheaded by Commissioner Shepherd” [Sic].

Based on inquiries made by the Reporter, including internal emails obtained through the Open Public Records Act, it is clear that Carty’s disparagement of the investigation and his accusation about Commissioner Sheppard are at odds with the facts.

Prior to the supposedly “biased” investigation, there were no public statements by Mr. Carty against the work of Parker McCay. It should be noted Carty voted for Parker McCay to be appointed as Solicitor for the Rancocas Valley Regional School [where Carty is an elected Board Member]. And it was Carty who signed the September 2025 engagement letter hiring Parker McCay as a special personnel investigator for the Fire District. But at the time he signed that letter, Parker McCay was only investigating the Fire Chief.