JACKSON: Fire District Merger Ordinance Set for Introduction Tuesday; No Layoffs Planned

Jackson Township plans to introduce an ordinance Tuesday, November 10, that would merge Fire District 3 into Fire District 2, with officials targeting January 1, 2027, for the consolidation.

Council President Mordy Burnstein said Ordinance 2026-34 would be introduced at the meeting, The Lakewood Scoop reported. Introduction is the next legislative step, not final adoption of the ordinance.

Under the proposal, the combined organization would keep the Jackson Fire District No. 2 name. District 3 employees would move into the combined organization, and all current employees would be retained, according to the announcement. No layoffs are planned.

Officials say the merger would create a single administrative structure, budget process and chain of command. They expect lower costs and better coordination but did not provide a dollar estimate for the savings.

Jackson would have two fire districts after the change: District 2 and District 4. The township council authorized the consolidation process in June, and the proposed ordinance says state local-government agencies approved the consolidation in September.