Dauphin County, Pennsylvania — Middletown Mayor James Curry has responded to a divisive statement issued by Middletown Volunteer Fire Department ahead of Tuesday’s municipal election in Dauphin County. Mayor Curry said members of the fire department have a political agenda, including a member who is his election opponent.
A statement was issued from the fire department after Mayor Curry criticized the inability of leadership in the department to raise money compared with fundraising efforts of nearby Lower Swatara Township Fire Department. Curry offered to help raise money for the fire department.
Middletown Volunteer Fire Department currently faces a $40,000 budget deficit despite receiving borough funding, and receiving an additional $30,000 that was approved by borough council for an unanticipated roof replacement.
Curry said he has always been a supporter of the fire department, including a personal donation he made this week. Mayor Curry also corresponded with Dauphin County District Attorney Fran Chardo to address online raffles to support the fire department. Chardo is now campaigning for Judge in Dauphin County.
Curry suggested several alternatives the department could use to successfully raise money, and he shared a recent photograph of a former Steelton mayor donating to firefighters at a fundraiser in Las Vegas.
The third term of Mayor Curry ends this year and he is not seeking re-election. However, Curry is now campaigning for a seat on borough council where he says he will have the power to vote. He said two of his opponents in the election for borough council are also members of the fire department.
In its statement responding to Mayor Curry, the department cited a $4 million budget of nearby Lower Paxton Township for paid firefighters compared to Middletown’s $150,000 volunteer operating budget in the borough.
Lower Paxton Township is the largest municipality in central Pennsylvania. Middletown is significantly smaller by area, residential population, and commercial development.
Borough council member Angela Lloyd is now campaigning on the Democrat ballot for Mayor against David Scully in the upcoming primary election.
Harrisburg100 
Townships and municipalities are lucky that they have firefighters to answer the fire calls they should not have to do any fundraising at all people do not have the time volunteer he cares so much about the fire company why don’t he join and run far calls and see how much time he has and what all needs done and a mandatory requirements that are put on the firefighters they ought to be glad that they don’t have to have a paid far crew then their taxes would be really high Pennsylvania back in the ’70s had over 340,000 firefighters now we’re lucky to have 36,000 firefighters in the state
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We left Middletown in 2012, moved to South America and never looked back. We are living better than we ever did. As a military veteran I could not afford to live in the US, The cost of living and quality of life is now the best we have ever experienced.
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