On June 26, 2013, Robert Zimmerman, President of the Rio Grande Volunteer Fire Department in Cape May County as well as an elected Fire Commissioner, appealed from a “Notice of Violation” issued to him on May 23, 2013 by the New Jersey Local Finance Board (LFB). The LFB issued the Notice of Violation after finding that Zimmerman violated the Local Government Ethics Law
The LFB cited Zimmerman for “simultaneously serving as Commissioner of Fire District #2 and President of the Rio Grande Fire Company in the same fire district” which the LFB held was “an incompatibility of office” that “might reasonably be expected to impair his objectivity or independence of judgment.” In its decision, the Board determined not to fine Zimmerman for this violation as long as he resigned one office or the other within 30 days.
In his appeal, Zimmerman said only that he feels that his situation is “unique due to the fact that I am only one vote on a Board of 5 members to decide what gets done and what does not get done, and also that our money is not commingled.”
The matter, which has been transferred to the Office of Administrative Law as a contested case, is on-line here.
