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Montgomery Township debates converting volunteer corps to paid fire staff; board schedules follow-up meeting
Summary
Residents and officials diverged over a proposal to add paid firefighters and raise property taxes to fund 24/7 coverage. Supporters cited slowing volunteer response and public-safety risks; opponents asked for phased options or an independent study. The board set a Nov. 14 follow-up meeting and tabled final budget action.
Montgomery Township officials and residents spent the majority of the Nov. 11 meeting debating a proposal from Fire Chief Bill Wegman to add paid firefighters and change the township’s staffing model.
Chief Bill Wegman presented four staffing scenarios and related millage options, saying volunteer availability has declined and response times have slipped. "We are looking at an increase in our revenues related to the sewer rate increase" (presented in the same meeting), and for the fire proposal he explained the intent to create reliable…
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