Township may ask for more open space money
Present tax losing ground to purchasing debt
SOUTH BRUNSWICK — Voters may be asked to dig a little deeper in order to help the township buy more open space.
Township Manager Matt Watkins told Township Council members last week that the amount being raised through the open space tax is starting to be used up by the debt payments on the more than 400 acres purchased since the tax was approved in 1996.
Nearly $2 million has been raised through the 2 cent tax since 1997.
Public affairs coordinator Ron Schmalz said Wednesday that 310 acres of open space have been purchased in 2001 alone.
Schmalz said that the fund took in about $728,000 from the tax last year.
The debt service on existing purchases was $827,000 per year, according to Schmalz.
The deficit, Schmalz said, is made up through interest and bonds canceled by the township, creating about $45,000 in surplus funds currently.
The amount raised in the tax only actually funds a 5 percent down payment on the total price of a property, and the rest is bonded.
Council members said that they may ask voters to approve an increase in the tax so that the body can actively pursue the purchase of more open space.
While Councilman Ted Van Hessen said that he favored a long-range plan, and possibly an increase of several cents, others chose to try and keep any increase around 2 cents.
The body decided to study the properties being considered by the town’s open space committee, and have the staff figure out how much purchasing and developing the land would cost.
Once the amount needed can be estimated, the council will discuss how best to reach that amount.
The council will then decide if voters will be asked to increase the open space tax, and by how much.
Any increase in the tax would have to be approved by voters in the November election.
The township will also ask the county which parcels they might want to purchase, or help purchase.
— Charles W. Kim