Toms River Fire District No. 2. (Photo: TRFD 2)
Commissioners for Toms River’s Fire District No. 2 will not be receiving increased stipends following a vote by the Toms River Township council on Tuesday night.
The district, which encompasses the area of town covered by the Silverton and and Pleasant Plains fire companies, has elected commissioners who attend monthly meetings to pay bills and conduct regular business having to do with the fire service. The commissioners for both fire districts receive a $7,200 stipend, but District 2 recently proposed raising the annual stipend for its five commissioners to $10,000.
The request drew the ire of township council members, leading Councilman George Wittmann to propose a resolution that would deny the raises.
“The stipend would be more than the township council [receives] and more than the District 1 commissioners,” said Wittmann. “We felt it was innapropriate, while everyone is concerned about tax increases and funding, that they would raise their salaries by $2,800.”
In order for the increase to be enacted, it would have had to receive approval from the township council. Six of the seven township council members voted against granting the raises, while Council President Brian Kubiel abstained. Kubiel is the full-time administrator of Fire District No. 1.
