Republicans running for local office say preservation of farms and open space "is the greatest legacy benefit we can provide our children and our grandchildren" and called for celebrating the past and future success of the township’s program.
Mayor Doug Tomson and Township Committeewoman Gloria McCauley said preservation is "one local issue that should always transcend partisan politics" and called the local program "second to none."
Last year, Mr. Tomson and Ms McCauley voted to put to the Hillsborough electorate a referendum that would have allowed use of the local open space tax for "development" of facilities in open space and parks. Their Democratic opponents this fall, Thuy Anh Le and John Beggiato, were leaders in the effort to defeat that initiative.
The GOP duo says the township has more than 11,000 preserved acres of its 54 square miles. The acreage represents more than 30 percent of Hillsborough’s land area, they said.
The statement by Ms. McCauley and Mr. Tomson touted Hillsborough’s preservation record, saying, "Few towns in New Jersey have a preservation record as successful and impressive."
Preservation with responsible environmental leadership and stewardship benefits everyone, the statement said, including "paying homage to our rich heritage based in agriculture, maintaining our beautiful bucolic setting, respecting wildlife and its habitat and protecting our water supply."
The preservation program controls development, which, in turn, keeps property taxes down, the statement said. Hillsborough’s open space trust fund remains "very financially viable, with ample funds available for the Township Committee to take advantage of all future opportunities," they said.
A couple of years ago, the township bought the 237-acre PID parcel in the rural Mill Lane area. The township’s initial investment was a little over $3 million.
Even at a bargain cost per acre of $13,500, that investment "represented a sizable outlay" from the local fund, the leaders said. Hillsborough applied to New Jersey’s Green Acres program and this February received a $1.2 million grant to support the purchase and replenish the local open space trust fund.
Republicans on the Township Committee have helped preserve an additional 350 acres on the Sourland Mountain, one of the most environmentally sensitive regions in New Jersey. This is the largest land preserve in Somerset County with more than 5,000 acres in Hillsborough.
The acquisition was completed through a partnership with the New Jersey Conservation Foundation with additional funding provided by Conservation Resources Inc. and the state’s Green Acres program.
Last week, the Township Committee passed a resolution supporting this November’s state constitutional amendment referendum that, if approved by voters, will create a long-term sustainable state funding source for additional farmland/open space preservation.
"A dynamic, cooperative and fiscally sound land preservation policy, conducted without partisan politics, will allow Hillsborough to work with county, state and nonprofit agencies for years to come," and keep Hillsborough "perfectly positioned to continue to preserve land with minimal investment by local taxpayers," the Republicans’ statement said.
