Title
Dept/ Agency: Offices of Municipal Council/City Clerk
Action: ( ) Ratifying (X) Authorizing ( ) Amending
Type of Service: Request for a binding proposition question
on the (November 5, 2013) Election ballot
Purpose: Establishment of a Municipal Open Space and Recreation Trust Fund and the Imposition of an Annual Levy
Sponsor: Ramos
Additional Information:
body
WHEREAS, N.J.S.A. 40:12-15.7 authorizes the governing body of any New Jersey municipality to submit to the voters of the municipality in a general election a proposition question authorizing the imposition of an annual levy for an amount or at a rate deemed appropriate for the following purposes:
(a) acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes;
(b) development of lands acquired for recreation and conservation purposes;
(c) maintenance of lands acquired for recreation and conservation purposes;
(d) acquisition of farmland for farmland preservation purposes;
(e) historic preservation of historic properties, structures, facilities, sites, areas, or objects, and the acquisition of such properties, structures, facilities, sites, areas, or objects for historic preservation purposes;
(f) payment of debt service on indebtedness issued or incurred by a municipality for any of the purposes set forth in subparagraphs (a), (b), (d), (e) or (g) of this paragraph; or
(g) Blue Acres projects;
WHEREAS, all twenty-one counties and over two-hundred municipalities in New Jersey have established voter-approved open space trust funds for one or more of these purposes;
WHEREAS, a levy of one-cent per $100 of assessed real property value would generate an estimated $1.1 million annually at a cost of $20.00 annually to the owner of a property assessed at $200,000.00;
WHEREAS, these funds could be used to improve, repair and maintain existing parks, and to acquire and develop new parks, neig...
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