Hackensack firefighters were elated to learn they'd received a federal grant to hire 12 additional firefighters.
Now it appears city officials plan to decline the SAFER grant, PIX11 reported.
Some lawmakers are fired up to hear the city's decision to not to accept the $2.4 million grant.
“It’s very hard to win these competitive grants to hire firefighters,” said Democratic U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, “and now they’re deciding they actually want to turn it down.”
Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco also is urging the city to accept the money that pays for dozen firefighters for three years. Officials have a few more days to decide.
“Now we’re going to have a group of elected officials turn down millions of dollars that are going to be spent to protect the thousands of people that live here? Not right,” said Tedesco.
As the stew continues to boil, city officials said in a statement: “The Hackensack City Council is committed to keeping residents safe while protecting taxpayers from unnecessary costs, and unfortunately in this case a federal grant application was submitted that erroneously included funding for 12 firefighters rather than the five positions that were authorized by the Council. The City intends to submit a revised grant application for five firefighters, and with all due respect to Congressman Gottheimer, the City Council is acting in the best interests of Hackensack taxpayers by ensuring that its Fire Department continues to be appropriately staffed without adding unnecessary new hires that taxpayers cannot afford.”
