Towaco Fire Board Clears Budget Confusion

The Towaco Board of Fire Commissioners had questions about where its capital improvements funding was—it turned out to be combined in an account with its general operating budget—and the confusion prompted a series of articles and a letter wondering if the money was missing.

The Board of Fire Commissioners, which is managing the fire district without the assistance of a long-time, full-time fire district administrator for the first time in 20 years, says the money's all there.

The confusion stemmed from two points that initially made things unclear: The operating and capital budgets are combined in a single bank account, which the commissioners did not realize. And the district receives its tax funding twice a year from the township, so part of its budget exists outside of its own bank accounts.

The current fire board is comprised of mostly new members and those who overlapped with previous administrations said they were not very involved in overseeing the fire district.

The former administrator, Harry Schaub Jr., retired in June. His position was eliminated after the Towaco fire district budget was defeated in February for the first time.

So, the $313,500 is there, the commissioners said. They voted to keep the capital funds in a separate account, but now are reconsidering the merits of keeping them combined in one bank account.

On NorthJersey.com: "There’s no telling where the Fire District money went."

And a post on OurMontville.com by Dan Pagano—the one who brought the issue to the public's attention—starts, "Has anybody found $313,500? If so, please contact the Towaco fire district."

Pagano has been keeping an eye on the fire district. In the spring, he filed a complaint with the Local Finance Board regarding the administrator, Harry Schaub Jr.'s, compensation. The commissioners said the state apparently in response to the complaint.