Town's vote to build new firehouse ends in tie, which is a defeat

On Thursday, the Monmouth County election board examined three provisional ballots cast in the Tuesday vote and disqualified one, and the other two

On Thursday, the Monmouth County election board examined three provisional ballots cast in the Tuesday vote - which ended tied at 156.

One was a yes, one was a no and one was deemed not valid, the election board said.

So the final tally remains tied at 157.

An majority vote would have bonded roughly $579,000 for a new combined fire station for the first aid squad and fire company, officials said

"I'm still numb," Roosevelt fire company treasurer and volunteer April Suk said late Thursday. She said she was told a tie would mean a loss, since no candidates are involved.

Borough Attorney Richard Shaklee confirmed it, saying the ordinance that prompted the referendum vote says a majority vote was needed to pass, so a tie means it does not move forward.

"I have no idea what the next steps are," Suk said.

Suk said in addition to not having new space for fire and first aid vehicles, she fears the development could damage the town's efforts to recruit members and grow the first responder corps.

"We're volunteers and half the town does not feel their town is worth $5 a month," Suk said.

Suk said if the referendum had passed, the town's average tax bill would have increased between $60 to $70 - or about $5 a month.

"I don't know where we are now," Suk said.

Suk said she is one of four members who breathed new life into the company after Superstorm Sandy in 2012. The company, in the years before the storm, was in a rapid state of decline and nearly defunct.

Now, they have 20 volunteers, she said.

The fire company operates out of a municipal garage, which cannot adequately house their trucks, and the first aid squad operates out of the old firehouse, which dates to 1940 and is also too small for modern ambulances. Suk has said.

Both buildings are in need of major repair and renovations, Suk and the fire company says.

On Tuesday, voting machines tallied 155 to 144 to defeat the referendum, but once absentee ballots were tallied, 12 were yes votes and one was a no, leveling the vote at 156.

The three provisional balltos were then sent for review by the Monmouth election board.

Before Thursday's final results, Suk had said the fire company had been gaining steam in the past few years.

The company raised $15,00 and then won a $10,000 grant to buy a used fire truck from Wall Township, but it's sitting in a borough lot, uncovered.

And in April, the fire company accepted a truck from a fire company in Tinton Falls, who had heard about Roosevelt's ongoing efforts to get a new truck, Suk said.

The excitement, though, was a bit tempered, since the truck was 2-feet too long to fit in the the municipal garage. So the fire company went out and bought supplies from Home Depot and built a temporary enclosure, Suk said.

The Tinton Falls donation allowed the company to take the truck that had been going on calls - a 1970 Mack fire truck - out of service. 

Opposition to the bond referendum had to do with the money involved and whether a new building is needed.

Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.