Monmouth County, New Jersey, Open Space Trust Fund (November 2017)
| Monmouth County Open Space Trust Fund Proposal |
|---|
|
| The basics |
| Election date: |
| November 7, 2017 |
| Status: |
 Approved
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| Topic: |
| Local property tax |
| Related articles |
| Local property tax on the ballot November 7, 2017 ballot measures in New Jersey Monmouth County, New Jersey ballot measures Local environment on the ballot City tax on the ballot |
| See also |
| Monmouth County, New Jersey |
A property tax measure to fund an open space and recreation fund was on the ballot for Monmouth County voters in Monmouth County, New Jersey, on November 7, 2017. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of increasing property taxes by 1.25 cents per $100 in valuation to fund the county open space trust fund. |
| A no vote was a vote against increasing property taxes by 1.25 cents per $100 in valuation to fund the county open space trust fund. |
Election results
| Open Space Trust Fund | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 87,895 | 57.58% | ||
| No | 64,741 | 42.42% | ||
- Election results from Monmouth County Election Results
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question was put on the ballot:[1]
| “ |
Should the County of Monmouth increase its dedication to the Monmouth County Open Space, Recreation, Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund from the previously approved and implemented annual levy of 1.5 cents per $100 of equalized valuation to 2.75 cents per $100 of equalized valuation, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:12-15.2(e), with the annual levy to be used for any or all of the purposes set forth in N.J.S.A. 40:12-15.2(a) (1)?[2] |
” |
Explanatory statement
The following official explanatory statement was provided for this measure:[1]
| “ |
This proposition would approve an increase in the annual collection rate from 1.5 cents per $100 of equalized valuation to 2.75 cents per $100 of equalized valuation through which the County of Monmouth funds the Monmouth County Open Space Trust Fund. The Open Space Trust Fund supports the current program to acquire and preserve open space for County park and recreational areas, to conserve natural resources and to protect water quality, to develop and maintain the system of County public recreation, which Includes those County lands acquired for recreation and conservation purposes, to acquire easements to preserve County farmland, and to participate in cooperative park and recreation projects with Monmouth County municipalities, thereby permanently preserving these areas, providing recreational opportunities, conserving natural resources and protecting water quality for future generations of Monmouth County residents. Increasing the rate will enable the funding for open space acquisition to keep pace with rising land costs and with the loss of land to development.[2] |
” |
Background
Prior to the election, Monmouth County taxpayers paid 1.5 cents per $100 in valuation to fund the Open Space Trust Fund, which produced about $17.4 million per year. This measure increased the tax by 1.25 cents per $100 in valuation to generate an additional $14.5 million per year. Freeholder Director Lillian Burry stated that the additional funds were needed to preserve and maintain 20,000 acres of undeveloped land. The county set 20,000 acres as a goal in order to comply with state guidelines to preserve 7 percent of developable land in each county. As of August 2017, the county had 17,000 acres of open space, which are used for parks and to protect watersheds.[3]
Burry also stated that, since the program was established in 1987, voters have approved measures to increase the open space tax in 1996, 2002, and 2006.[4]
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the Monmouth County Freeholders on July 27, 2017.[3]
Additional resources
- More data on this measure and other land conservation ballot measures is available at the LandVote database of the Trust for Public Land (TPL).
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Monmouth County Local property tax Open Space Trust Fund. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Monmouth County Elections Department, "State, County and Municipal Public Questions 2017," accessed October 26, 2017
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 App.com, "Monmouth voters asked to raise taxes to preserve open space," July 28, 2017
- ↑ Jersey Shore Online, "Monmouth County Open Space Tax May Increase," August 16, 2017
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