Hikes in stipends for two of the township’s four fire districts were approved March 10 by the Township Council.
Fire districts have their own budgets, but the council must approve some items, such as commissioners’ stipends.
Commissioners in Fire District 1 received $1,000 increases, from $5,000 for commissioners and $6,500 for the chairman to $6,000 for commissioners and $7,500 for the chairman.
Commissioners in Fire District 2 also received $1,000 increases, from $5,000 to $6,000.
Stipends for commissioners in Fire District 3 remained the same as last year – $7,284 – as did the $300 stipend for commissioners in Fire District 4.
In an email justifying the increase for Fire District 1 stipends, Commissioner Jason Goldberg wrote, “We put in countless hours attending numerous meetings and believe the stipend requires adjustment after many years without any increase.”
Records compiled by township clerk Ann Marie McCarthy show that Fire District 1 commissioners have not had an increase in their stipend since 2009.
Fire District 2 did not provide any justification for the increase for their commissioners, although requested to by McCarthy.