Avenel residents urge Kings County to intervene as city moves to form own fire department

Several residents of the City of Avenel told the Kings County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 9 they are worried the city council is moving ahead to create a municipal fire department without adequate public transparency or trained personnel.

At the Board—s public comment period, Ginger Wallace said Avenel officials are "refusing to sign the contract" the county submitted and urged supervisors to "stick with us" while residents pursue a recall of council members. "They don't have trained personnel, and they're wanting to start their own fire department," Wallace said.

Mila Barajas, who identified herself as the organizer of the recall campaign, told the board that "when leaders lie, the whole community suffers," and said the recall is aimed at "reclaiming our city" and replacing officials she described as placing politics over residents' needs.

Resident Sheila Verdugo said an agenda packet posted by the Avenel City Council for a Thursday meeting contained an item described as an ordinance "establishing the Avenel fire department and fire protection regulations" and a resolution asserting the state required the city to form a department. "This is not true," Verdugo said, calling the language in the council packet misleading.

Online commenter Veronica Aguirre said she was "disgusted and embarrassed" by Avenel leadership and urged support for the recall, praising Supervisor Richard Valley for his history of support for Avenel.

Supervisor Richard Valley told callers he had asked county counsel and the county administrative office for information about whether the city—s apparent action—moving to adopt an ordinance that, according to speakers, reflects a different contract language than the one the Board previously approved—would be legally effective. Valley said county staff had sent the county—s version of the contract back to Avenel more than a month earlier and that the county would investigate whether the council—s action could override the board—s earlier consent.

Why it matters: The dispute centers on whether Avenel can adopt a local ordinance or contract language that differs from the Kings County Board of Supervisors— previously approved terms governing fire protection services. Residents said the change could reduce their access to experienced firefighters and end a negotiated 18-month termination provision the board had added to the agreement.

The board did not take formal action on the matter during the Sept. 9 meeting; Valley said staff would look into the legal questions and report back. The Avenel City Council was scheduled to consider the ordinance at its next meeting later in the week, according to speakers.