Clementon Voters Reject Budget Exceeding Limit

By Rosalee Polk Rhodes, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: March 05, 1989

With less than 12 percent of Clementon's 2,000 registered voters casting ballots, a referendum allowing the Borough Council to exceed the state budget cap was defeated by a vote of 146-89.

The additional money would have enabled the council to appropriate $125,000

from a proposed $2.4 million budget to finance the borough's three fire companies - Clementon A.A., East Clementon and Watsontown. The defeat of the referendum keeps the budget at $2.3 million.

The money would have been spent for the maintenance of fire equipment and increased insurance coverage. Last year, the companies received a total of $21,000.

Mayor Richard Wooster noted that the borough had two choices for financing the fire companies: create a fire district with its own taxing powers or have the mayor and council provide the money from the borough budget. But, he said, ''the people voted against both."

Voters rejected a proposed fire district in 1987.

The mayor admitted that the $21,000 that now would be divided among the three companies would not be sufficient to run one of them.

He said that the $7,000 alloted to each of the companies was about enough to "pay for their insurance or buy gasoline."

Wooster speculated that a petition drive would soon begin to establish a fire district.

"As much as I don't like the idea of a fire district," he said, "it may be the only alternative. People can't have it both ways.

"I really don't know what's going to happen. I haven't had a chance to talk with council," the mayor said.

Edward Rufe, fire chief of East Clementon, said he was disappointed in the vote. "We're going to have to have a meeting (with council) to see what is next."

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