COLTS NECK – The Township Committee will move forward with a non-binding public question on the Nov. 7 ballot and ask residents to approve an increase in the municipal open space tax rate.
The open space tax rate generates revenue on an annual basis that officials use to acquire, preserve and maintain undeveloped property in Colts Neck.
At present, a township property owner pays 1.2 cents per $100 of the assessed valuation of his home and/or property into the municipal open space trust fund on an annual basis. The owner of a home assessed at $800,000 currently pays $96 into the open space trust fund.
If the open space tax rate is increased to 2.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, the owner of a home assessed at $800,000 will pay $200 per year into the open space trust fund, an increase of $104.
In July, committee members passed a resolution to ask voters to approve an increase in Colts Neck’s open space tax rate from 1.2 cents to 2.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
At the time, committee members noted that the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders was considering placing its own question on the Nov. 7 ballot asking residents of all 53 municipalities in the county to raise the county’s open space tax rate.
Colts Neck’s officials said they might pull their local question from the ballot if the freeholders moved forward with a county referendum.
In late July, the freeholders voted to place a binding public question on the ballot and to ask voters to increase the county’s open space tax rate from 1.5 cents to 2.75 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.
The voters’ decision on the binding county question will be final and will not require additional action by the freeholders, county counsel Michael Fitzgerald previously said.
On Aug. 9, Colts Neck’s officials decided to keep their non-binding municipal question on the ballot, meaning residents will have the opportunity to vote on two open space questions on Nov. 7.
Mayor Russell Macnow expressed concern about asking residents to vote on two similar tax increases, although he said he is in favor of the municipal ballot question.
“I am very much in favor of this (municipal question) for many reasons,” Macnow said. “The long-term benefits are significant here. Removing these properties from the list of available developable properties is a big plus to this town. It is money well spent as far as I’m concerned.
“My concern is that people will have a visceral reaction when they walk into the voting booth and see two referendums on the ballot asking for more money out of their pocket and wind up voting no to both, but if nobody else is concerned about it, I’m all for it,” Macnow said.
The mayor said increasing the municipal open space tax rate will have long-term benefits for Colts Neck in regard to maintaining the township’s rural atmosphere.
“Every time you take a property that can be developed out of play, especially in a high-density format, there are fewer services the township has to provide. Ultimately, the more services we have to provide, the more your taxes have to go up anyway.
“If these properties are left on the market they are going to get developed and with the affordable housing issue in play now, there is a good chance (land) is going to become high-density housing. (The public) is going to pay the money at some point or another; we would rather have them pay it to keep it green,” Macnow said.
Committeeman Thomas Orgo said the acquisition of open space parcels can be achieved through a partnership between Colts Neck, Monmouth County and the state.