Sayreville leaders defend using municipal preservation trust fund for old firehouse; residents push to buy 40 acres

Sayreville — At a September 2025 Mayor and Borough Council meeting, the mayor said the borough will use the Municipal Open Space Recreation Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund to restore the old firehouse and relocate construction and code‑enforcement staff out of temporary trailers.

The mayor told the council that the trust fund — created under NJSA 40:12‑15.7 and established in ordinance No. 671‑00 — can be funded by an additional annual tax levy of up to 2 cents per $100 of assessed value and that restoring the firehouse is a permissible use of those dollars. “The building will not be torn down. It will be restored and put to use as new office space for the men and women who handle construction and code enforcement for the borough,” the mayor said.

Why it matters: The trust fund’s legal name and enabling statute were cited at the meeting, and residents said the borough should prioritize land acquisitions and traditional historic‑preservation projects rather than converting the old firehouse…