40A:14-84 Revenue for the district, purposes, limitations; meetings.

40A:14-84. a. For a fire district that holds its annual election at a time other than at the time of the general election, the legal voters, at a regular meeting or at a special meeting called by the commissioners of the fire district, may vote to raise money for a firehouse, fire engines, apparatus, or other appliances for the extinguishment of fires and acquire lands or buildings or erect buildings for the housing of such equipment, or other buildings, including but not limited to, administrative, communications, or training buildings, or buildings for the maintenance of fire apparatus, in an amount not exceeding 5 mills on the dollar of the last assessed valuation of the property in the fire district. The amount so voted for shall be included in the next succeeding annual budget of the fire district under the section for capital appropriations. Voting shall be open between the hours of 6:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M., but the board may designate a later closing hour on the same day, and the board shall take any necessary action to ensure the secrecy and privacy of the casting of votes.

Any such special meeting shall be called on 10 days' notice by the board of fire commissioners, to be posted in five public places in the district, setting forth the time, place and object of the meeting and the legal voters shall determine the amount of money to be raised.

b. (1) For a fire district that holds its annual election at the time of the general election, the board of fire commissioners of a fire district, at a regular meeting or at a special meeting called by the commissioners of the fire district, may, by resolution adopted by a vote of not less than 2/3 of the full membership thereof, raise money for a firehouse, apparatus, appliances, land or buildings in connection therewith for fire extinguishing purposes, including but not limited to administrative or training buildings, in an amount not exceeding 5 mills on the dollar of the last assessed valuation of the property in the fire district. The amount so adopted shall be included in the next succeeding annual budget of the fire district under the section for capital appropriations.

(2) (a) Prior to such meeting, the resolution, or a summary thereof, shall be published together with notice of the time and place of the meeting, the opportunity of the public to be heard at the meeting, and the availability of copies of the resolution to the members of the general public of the fire district from the date following such publication up to and including the date of the meeting. If a summary is published, the summary shall contain a clear and concise statement prepared by the clerk of the board of fire commissioners setting forth the purpose of the resolution and the amount to be raised by the additional levy being authorized.

(b) If the resolution is to be adopted at a regular meeting, the clerk of the board of fire commissioners shall, at least 10 days prior to the date of the meeting, post the information required to be published pursuant to this subsection in five public places in the fire district, and shall advertise this information in a newspaper, published in the fire district, if any, otherwise in a newspaper circulating in the district.

(c) If the resolution is to be adopted at a special meeting, the clerk shall, at least 21 days prior to the date of the meeting, post the information required to be published pursuant to this subsection in five public places in the fire district, and shall advertise this information in a newspaper, published in the fire district, if any, otherwise in a newspaper circulating in the district. The clerk shall, not more than 20 days and at least 10 days prior to the date of the meeting, again advertise this information in that newspaper.

(3) (a) All interested persons shall be given an opportunity to be heard at a meeting subject to the provisions of this section.

(b) Copies of a resolution shall be made available to the members of the general public of the fire district who shall request such copies from the date following publication of the resolution up to and including the date of the meeting.

amended 1979, c.453, s.15; 2017, c.206, s.20.