The budget also marks the district’s first tax rate increase in five years, with an increase of about $38.18 for the average Evesham homeowner.
Evesham residents more finely attuned to the smaller twists and turns of how their local authorities are governed may have noticed there was no fire district election this past Saturday.
In prior years, the third Saturday in February marked the day when Evesham’s voters were asked to render their approval or disapproval on Evesham Fire District No. 1’s annual budget and any referendum items on the ballot, as well as vote for candidates for seats on the district’s board of fire commissioners.
Yet, thanks to a 2017 state law that went into effect this year, holding fire district elections in February are a thing of the past for Evesham.
Now, districts have the option of moving their elections and all associated votes to the day of November general election, similar to municipal and school board elections.
Evesham’s local fire district is one of several in the area making the switch.
“Certainly, the move was to increase voter turnout and increase transparency with the election process,” Evesham Fire-Rescue Chief Carl Bittenbender said when asked why the district chose to take advantage of the new law. “Elections used to be held Presidents Day weekend, and we had a low voter turnout, historically.”
In addition, the new law also changes the rules governing when a fire district must gain voter approval for its annual budget.
Instead of requiring voters’ approval every year, now fire districts only need to get approval from voters for a budget that exceeds a 2 percent increase in the property tax levy from the previous year.
These rules may sound familiar to residents, as they match how municipalities and school districts across the state handle their annual budgets.
As such, Bittenbender said appropriations in this year’s budget, which was approved by the board of fire commissioners on Feb. 11, would increase by about $990,000.
The increase brings this year’s budget to a total of about $10.5 million, up from last year’s total of about $9.5 million.
The increase will also requires a tax levy increase of about $38.18 for the average homeowner in Evesham Township, bringing the overall fire district tax to 15.1 cents per every $100 of assessed property value.
As noted by Bittenbender, the jump marks Evesham Fire District No. 1’s first tax increase in five years, despite the district responding to an ever-increasing number of calls.
Bittenbender pointed to an increase in recent years of high-density housing, age-restricted facilities and health-care facilities in the northern section of town, as well as consistent challenges serving the southern half of town, which can be harder to reach.
With that, Bittenbender said additional funds in this year’s budget would go toward funding 25 additional per-diem EMTs to staff a second ambulance at all hours at the district’s Kings Grant station.
“The call volume for fire and EMS has increased significantly over the past 10 years,” Bittenbender said. “As call volume increased, we simply asked our volunteer responders to ‘do more’ — and they did. However, there has been an increase of more than 1,000 runs annually over the past two years. Our volunteer staff members have decreased and the remaining members are becoming overburdened.”
In addition, the district also plans to acquire a property next to the Main Street Firehouse for a possible future expansion, if necessary, as well as conduct building repairs at all three stations.
Bittenbender noted the oldest station is 26 years old.
“Twenty-six years ago, Evesham was a different place,” Bittenbender said. “The call volume was a fraction of what it is today. There were 12 employees of the district and 40 volunteer responders.”
Currently, Bittenbender said the district has 70 full-time and per-diem employees and 115 volunteer firefighters and EMTs.
The year’s budget is available for view on the district’s website at www.eveshamfire.org.
