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Referendum to disband Connellsville fire department to appear on ballot

By Christine Haines chaines@heraldstandard.Com 2 min read

The Fayette County Election Board Monday unanimously voted to permit a referendum to appear on the November ballot asking Connellsville voters if they want to disband the city’s paid fire department.

The department, through attrition over the past 15 years, is down to one full-time employee, who also handles code enforcement in the city.

“We are still bound by a collective bargaining agreement, but that is a different matter,” said Tim Witt, Connellsville’s solicitor.

“What is before the Election Board is not whether or not the city of Connellsville should have a paid fire department, but whether it is appropriate to put it on the ballot as a referendum,” said County Commissioner and Election Board member Angela Zimmerlink.

County solicitor Sheryl Heid said the question before the election board was whether the referendum question was both clear and fairly worded.

“It has to be clear with a direct answer, yes or no,” Heid said.

As presented to the election board, the question to appear on the ballot is:

“Shall the City of Connellsville disband the paid fire force in favor of having fire protection services performed by volunteers?”

Al Ambrosini, chairman of the commissioners and the election board, noted that the referendum question must be asked in a neutral manner and is required under state law for disbanding a paid fire service.

“No county or municipality employing paid firefighters, including but not limited to paid fire drivers, may disband its paid fire force in favor of having the services performed by volunteers unless approved by the voters in a referendum,” the Pennsylvania Referendum Handbook states. “The question may be initiated by an ordinance of the governing body, or by a petition signed by at least twenty percent of the registered voters of the municipality. The ordinance or petition must be filed not later than the thirteenth Tuesday prior to the next general, municipal or primary election.”

Members of the public had begun circulating petitions when Connellsville City Council passed the ordinance July 31 calling for the referendum.

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