Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2004, is Election Day, and the country will be voting on a candidate who will be leading the country for the next four years.
In Edison, there are no local candidates from the township on the ballet, but there are two questions that will appear on this years ballot. The first question will ask the voters to extend the open space tax another 15 years. Edison now has a 1-cent tax per 100 asset value tax, which was supported and passed by the voters in 1998.
This tax generated over $7 million from the local taxpayers, and another $3 million in Green Acre grant dollars from the state. The money received from the tax was able to purchase over 300 acres of land to keep as open space, with no homes or any kind of buildings ever to be built on these properties. If you take the average price of land per acre at $150,000, it would have cost over $45 million to purchase these properties.
The second question will ask the voters to approve that 25-percent portion of the open space tax go toward restoring historic sites.
For the last eight years, the town has tried to come up with different ways to try to restore the Edison Tower. The town tried with Buy A Brick To Save The Tower, and working on different grants, but the town could not come up with the matching funds for the grants. Now with the voters’ support, the town will have a funding source, we will be putting our money were our mouths are.
This year Edison Township celebrates the 125th year of the light bulb, for which the tower was constructed in the exact spot the light bulb was made to work. Also, the town is celebrating the 50th anniversary of renaming the town from Raritan to Edison.
Let us as the voters of Edison approve questions one and two, to keep more space open and preserve our historic past.
Let us as the voters of Edison approve questions one and two, and not abandon the tower (our symbol) as others have.
Let us as the voters of Edison approve questions one and two, funding the way to repair the crumbling tower.
Let us as the voters of Edison approve questions one and two, to restore the tower to show the importance of preserving the past for the future.
The Edison Open Space Committee, Edison Historic Preservation Commission, and The Edison Tower Trustee Board have endorsed the Open Space extension tax and historic questions. Please show your support vote yes on question one and question two on Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2004
Charles Tomaro
Edison Township Council