Elections to be held for fire budgets, commissioners Budget in 12 fire districts up for vote BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer Come Feb. 16, Woodbridge Township residents will be asked to vote for the open seats up for fire commissioner positions and vote for the fire budget for each of the 12 fire districts. The voting stations will be set up from 2 to 9 p.m. at each of the individual firehouses. Donald Nelsen is running for his first three-year term against incumbents John C. Kenny and Patrick Kenny for one of the two three-year seats for fire commissioner for the Woodbridge and Sewaren Fire District No. 1. The Kennys are running for their fourth terms. Ken Gardner, former council president and former Woodbridge Fire Department chief, is running for the one-year unexpired term seat. Gardner added that he was the initial incident commander for the Shell tank fire in 1996. "Lightning struck a Shell tank filled with 3 million gallons of gasoline inside of it," he said. "I commanded 1,200 emergency service members over a four-day period." The total appropriations for the Woodbridge and Sewaren Fire District No. 1 budget totals $6,977,457. The amount to be raised by taxation is $5,664,025. The tax rate is $0.75 per $100 of assessed valuation, which is up 5 cents from last year. Voters will also be asked if the Woodbridge and Sewaren Fire District No. 1 could increase the stipend for its volunteers. The Woodbridge Fire Department is located at 418 School St. Kenneth Galvach and Robert Santorelli of the Port Reading Fire District No. 2 are running unopposed for the two three-year seats up for fire commissioner this year. Galvach is running for his fourth term and Santorelli is running for his seventh term. The total appropriations for the Port Reading Fire District No. 2 budget totals $1,609,872. The amount to be raised by taxation is $1,506,425. The tax rate is $0.67 per $100 of assessed valuation, which is up 5 cents from last year. The Port Reading Fire Department is located at 916 West Ave. Earl A. Runkel II of the Avenel Fire District No. 5 is running unopposed for the one three-year seat that is up for fire commissioner this year. Runkel is running for his fourth term. The total appropriations for theAvenel District No. 5 budget totals $1,863,029. The amount to be raised by taxation is $1,535,688. The tax rate is $0.28 per $100 of assessed valuation. Fire officials said the budget comes $80,000 below the tax levy cap of 4 percent. Voters will also be asked if the Avenel District No. 5 would be able to purchase a Class A pumper fire engine in the amount of $525,000, authorizing $25,000 in bonds and/or notes and utilizing $500,000 of capital outlay funds that the district already has on hand. The Avenel Fire Department is located at 346 Avenel St. Brian Henry and Chuck Lopez are running for their first time for the one threeyear seat up for fire commissioner for the Fords Fire District No. 7. Henry has been a firefighter with the Fords Fire Department for 18 years and Lopez has been a member of the St. John's Emergency Medical Services in Fords for 14 years and a dispatcher for the Fords Fire District No. 7. Lopez, who is not a firefighter, said emergency services encompasses all types of service and believes that with his varied background as a dispatcher and a member of the first aid squad, he can bring a little bit of change as a fire commissioner. The total appropriations for the Fords Fire District No. 7 totals $2,127,774. The amount to be raised by taxation is $1,491,349. The tax rate is $0.52 per $100 of assessed valuation, which is up 4 cents from last year. Voters will also be asked if the Fords Fire District No. 7 should be allowed to purchase another rescue vehicle to replace an 18-year-old rescue vehicle. The cost of the rescue vehicle is already appropriated into the budget. The Fords Fire Department is located at 667 King Georges Road. Kevin Petz of the Hopelawn Fire District No. 8 is running unopposed for the one three-year seat that is up for fire commissioner this year. Petz is running for his fourth term. The total appropriations for the Hopelawn Fire District No. 8 totals $6,032,450. The amount to be raised by taxation is $5,077,415. The tax rate is $0.602 per $100 of assessed valuation. The Hopelawn Fire Department is located at 127 Loretta St. Carl S. Christensen and Nicholas Neglio of the Iselin Fire District No. 9 are running unopposed for the two three-year seats up for fire commissioner this year. Christensen has served as fire commissioner for over 20 years and Neglio has served for approximately 10 years. The total appropriations for the Iselin Fire District No. 9 totals $2,074,720. The amount to be raised by taxation is $1,641,113. The Iselin Fire Department No. 9 is located at 1222 Green St. Dale Eckensberger is running for his first three-year term against incumbents Roy Sandkleb and Ronald Lisoski for one of the two three-year seats up for fire commissioner for the West Iselin Fire District No. 11. John Trela is running for his first time for the one-year unexpired term seat. The total appropriations for the West Iselin Fire District No. 11 totals $1,252,648. The amount to be raised by taxation is $1,116,918. The tax rate is $0.37 per $100 of assessed valuation. The Iselin Fire Department Headquarters No. 11 is located at 20 Auth Ave. William Higgin Sr. andWilliam Higgin Jr. of Colonia Fire District No. 12 are running unopposed for the two three-year seats up for fire commissioner this year. Higgin Sr. is running for his eighth term and Higgin Jr. is running for his first term. The total amount to be raised by taxation is $1,406,590. The Colonia Fire Department is located at 250 Inman Ave. The Keasbey Fire District No. 4 could not be reached before press time. The Keasbey Fire Department is located at 420 Smith St. CORRECTION: The total appropriations and the amount to be raised by taxation for the Hopelawn Fire District No. 8 was incorrectly printed as $6,032,450 and $5,077,415 in the Feb. 13 issue of the Woodbridge Sentinel. The correct total appropriations for the Hopelawn Fire District No. 8 totals $632,450. The amount to be raised by taxation is $577,415. The tax rate is $0.602 per $100 of assessed valuation. CORRECTION: It was incorrectly printed in the Feb. 13 issue of the Woodbridge Sentinel that Dale Eckensberger of the West Iselin Fire District No. 11 was running for his first three-year term for the two, three-year seats up for fire commissioner this year. Eckensberger is running for his second term along with incumbent Roy Sandkleb against Ronald Lisoski, who is running for his first-term as fire commissioner.