Open space makes cents


Open space is a hot topic, and it seems as if it is being considered everywhere, even in towns that don’t appear to have any.

The mad rush to put the question on the November ballot is the result of a fast-approaching Aug. 23 deadline for municipal submission of the tax question to the county elections clerk.

The latest municipality to make a bid for an open space tax is Keyport. The governing body of the 1.4-square-mile borough wants to improve its waterfront with the help of the new tax.

The Borough Council has not decided how much of an open space tax it will ask for, but it is considering a 2- or 2.5-cent tax. The money would allow the council to bond for an estimated $1 million for waterfront development.

The borough’s waterfront is underused and has the potential, if improved, to bring more people, business and a possible economic resurgence to the municipality.

Hazlet’s Township Committee is trying for a second time in four years to get a 1-cent open space tax on November’s ballot. Back in 1998, Mayor Christopher Cullen said, the measure was defeated because voters felt there was not enough space to preserve with 98 percent of the township already developed.

This time around, the committee is not only looking to purchase the limited amount of open space available in the township, it also hopes to improve existing parks with the money raised by the tax.

The township has 109 acres of potential open space and 11 parks that could use some renovation.

With so little land available for open space, Hazlet should grab whatever it can.

The proposed tax would add $13 to $14 annually on an average tax bill for a property with an assessed valuation of $130,000 to $140,000, a small price to pay for needed open space.

Middletown is considering doubling its 1-cent open space tax to raise an additional $450,000 a year.

The township has become a place to move for many New York City residents who are sick and tired of dealing with living and working in close quarters. The open space feel of Middletown has become a safe haven for many people who have moved into the area.

Many people in Monmouth County are fed up with increasing taxes, but for a few pennies a day, they can be assured that their money will be used for something worthwhile — to preserve land.