Bill Text: NJ A1293 | 2016-2017 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Permits consolidation of all fire districts in a municipality; sets forth procedure for consolidation.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-01-27 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly State and Local Government Committee [A1293 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2016-A1293-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
217th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2016 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman GREGORY P. MCGUCKIN
District 10 (Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Permits consolidation of all fire districts in a municipality; sets forth procedure for consolidation.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act concerning the consolidation of fire districts and supplementing chapter 14 of Title 40A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Notwithstanding N.J.S.40A:14-70, N.J.S.40A:14-90, and N.J.S.40A:14-91, a municipal governing body may consider the consolidation of all fire districts in the municipality, upon receipt of parallel resolutions, adopted by the commissioners of all of the fire districts within the municipality, consenting to the development of a consolidation plan. If the municipal governing body approves the development of a consolidation plan, it shall work with the fire district commissioners to prepare the plan. The plan may be prepared in consultation with the Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs, or his designee.
Upon completion of the consolidation plan, which shall include a first-year budget for the consolidated fire district, the governing body of the municipality shall fix a time and place for a hearing to discuss the proposed consolidation. Notice of the hearing shall be provided in accordance with the "Senator Byron M. Baer Open Public Meetings Act," P.L.1975, c.231 (C.10:4-6 et seq.), and copies of the proposed consolidation plan shall be made available for public inspection by the municipal clerk, in accordance with the provisions of P.L.1963, c.73 (C.47:1A-1 et seq.) and P.L.2001, c.404 (C.47:1A-5 et al.).
Following the hearing, the governing body of the municipality shall vote on a resolution to consolidate the fire districts.
If a resolution is adopted by the municipal governing body to consolidate the fire districts, then notice of the impending consolidation, and a copy of the proposed consolidation plan, shall be sent to the Local Finance Board, which shall have 30 days from receipt to schedule a hearing to discuss revisions to the plan if it has objections. Otherwise, the consolidation plan shall be deemed approved by the board.
Upon approval or revision of the plan by the Local Finance Board, the consolidation plan shall be considered finally adopted by the municipal governing body, and the assets and debts of the fire districts to be consolidated shall be reapportioned pursuant to the consolidation plan.
The consolidation shall become operative after the next fire district election following the final adoption of the consolidation plan by at least 29 days, during which new commissioners for the consolidated district shall be elected.
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill permits municipalities to consider the consolidation of all fire districts in the municipality, upon receipt of parallel resolutions, adopted by the commissioners of all of the fire districts within the municipality, consenting to the development of a consolidation plan. If the municipal governing body approves the development of a consolidation plan, it shall work with the fire district commissioners to prepare the plan. The plan may be prepared in consultation with the Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs, or his designee.
Upon completion of the consolidation plan, which shall include a first-year budget for the consolidated fire district, the governing body of the municipality shall fix a time and place for a hearing to discuss the proposed consolidation. Notice of the hearing shall be provided to the public, and copies of the proposed consolidation plan shall be made available for public inspection by the municipal clerk.
Following the hearing, the governing body of the municipality shall vote on a resolution to consolidate the fire districts.
If a resolution is adopted by the municipal governing body to consolidate the fire districts, then notice of the impending consolidation, and a copy of the proposed consolidation plan, shall be sent to the Local Finance Board, which shall have 30 days from receipt to schedule a hearing to discuss revisions to the plan if it has objections. Otherwise, the consolidation plan shall be deemed approved by the board.
Upon approval or revision of the plan by the Local Finance Board, the consolidation plan shall be considered finally adopted by the municipal governing body, and the assets and debts of the fire districts to be consolidated shall be reapportioned pursuant to the consolidation plan.
The consolidation shall become operative after the next fire district election following the final adoption of the consolidation plan by at least 29 days, during which new commissioners for the consolidated district shall be elected.
