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Council passes first reading of ordinance to dissolve Kaysby Fire District and expand Ford's
Summary
At first reading the council approved an ordinance to dissolve Kaysby Fire District No. 4 and expand Ford's Fire District No. 7 after a mayoral presentation that cited a state review recommending a merger, staffing shortfalls, NFPA concerns, and projected tax impacts.
The Woodbridge Township Council passed an ordinance on first reading to dissolve Kaysby Fire District No. 4 and expand Ford's Fire District No. 7, as recommended in a state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Division of Fire Safety report. The clerk moved and seconded the ordinance for first reading and the council approved publishing a special meeting for final consideration on August 12 at 6 p.m.
In a detailed presentation, the mayor summarized the state's findings, quoting the report's language that included "a declining volunteer member base, a lack of permanent supervisors, over reliance on shared services... staff overtime, no formal strategic plans or sustainable staffing plans," and highlighted a "very low call volume of 10 to 12 in the district monthly." The mayor said hiring additional personnel would be financially burdensome and that the "second option" recommended by the state was merging Kaysby with Ford's to improve efficiency and deployment.
The mayor described assurances for current Kaysby employees: "Ford's agreed to hire up to 5 firefighters, Woodbridge Fire District number 1 agreed to hire 2, and Port Redding Fire District number 2 agreed to hire 1," and said those offers were confirmed by direct calls to the three districts. He also presented comparative response distances and emphasized NFPA "2 in and 2 out" staffing requirements as a driver of the recommendation. Financial analysis provided during the presentation showed Kaysby with the highest fire district tax rate in the township (reported as an average $2,395 per year at a $75,000 assessed value) and projected that transfer of assessed value to Ford's would allow the merged district to cover salaries and benefits.
Residents and firefighters spoke during public comment raising safety and asset-ownership concerns; the mayor responded that assets would transfer to the merged district and any sale proceeds would be budgeted as revenue for the new district. The ordinance was approved on first reading and scheduled for publication and a special meeting for final action.
The ordinance remains at the first-reading stage and will return for final consideration on August 12; specific final vote tallies and any amendments at that meeting are not yet recorded.
