Gloucester County Administrator Carol Steele says she has had to clarify a number of issues connected to the upcoming bond referendum. One involves the county’s reserved funds. She said a lot of people ask if the two fire department projects included in the referendum could be funded without raising taxes. The short answer is yes; however, the reality is that the county isn’t sitting on the funds for those projects. According to the Gazette Journal, Steele said to fund the two fire department projects, the county would still need to borrow to pay for the project and have to wait until the fall of 2024. She said there is a belief that the county is just sitting on the money needed for the projects and not considering using it.
Steele said if the county were to use its reserve funds to cover the costs of the projects, it would break the board’s financial policy.