South Plainfield voters asked whether to create open space and recreation fund

SOUTH PLANFIELD - Borough voters will be asked on Nov. 8 whether they want the municipality to establish an open space and recreation fund.

If approved, the fund would be created through an annual levy of 2 cents per $100 of assessed property value for the purposes of improving recreational facilities, protecting water quality in rivers and streams, historic preservation, conservation of natural areas and developing, maintaining and acquiring lands for recreation and conservation.

The proposed tax impact would be $22 per year, or $1.83 per month, based on a average assessed home at $123,226, according to the borough.

The funds can only be used for the purposes of development, maintenance and acquisition of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, as well as historic preservation in the borough.

There would be full public disclosure of all spending, and every year there would be a public audit of expenditures.

The fund would enable the borough to leverage matching grants from Middlesex County and the state.

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"We've never had an open space fund," said Borough Administrator and Chief Financial Officer Glenn Cullen. "The governing body is looking to do a couple of large projects in town. With the county open space, you only get 50%, and you have to match the other 50%."

One of the projects the borough is considering is Putnam Park.

"We are looking to do a $1 million revitalization there," Cullen said. "Looking at this going forward, it would be great if the match money we use comes directly out of our own municipal open space trust fund."

Email: sloyer@gannettnj.com

Susan Loyer covers Middlesex County and more for MyCentralJersey.com. To get unlimited access to her work, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ election: South Plainfield open space fund on ballot