Clarifying the Open Space FAQ for Hillsborough Voters

 #FOHOS members have reviewed the Open Space FAQ provided by the Township Committee on the website and their email newsletter and have added critical information for voters below. www.facebook.com/fohosnj includes approved Open Space Advisory Committee Minutes and other sources to support this information that voters need to make an informed vote. 

It is significant that the Township Committee has acknowledged that the ballot question is confusing to the public by providing the FAQ. However, there is no new information presented in the Township's FAQ and it is so late that many voters won't have time to research. The issues that Friends of Hillsborough Open Space have raised since August are still valid and unanswered. The ballot question still is unclear and the public still cannot easily understand it. We seek to help residents by listing the Township's original questions and answers and then providing additional answers to the FAQ below.

Q: What are the voters being asked to approve?
A: Voters are being asked to allow the Township Committee to allocate up to 20% of future Open Space Tax collections, beginning in 2014, to the development of open space properties for recreational purposes.

FOHOS Answer: Please note that the ballot question actually states for “recreation, conservation and general open space purposes.” Does anyone know what general open space purposes means? Why wasn’t the full wording provided in this FAQ instead of just mentioning recreation? Is the Township Committee inferring their preference?

Q: Will approval of this Referendum increase the Open Space Tax?
A: No. Approval of this Referendum by the voters will not increase the Open Space Tax.

FOHOS Answer: This answer is correct. 

Q: Will approval of this Referendum prevent the Township from preserving open space and farmland?
A: No. The Township will still be able to preserve open space and farmland with existing and future Open Space Funds collected.

FOHOS Answer: This answer is correct but the underlying question is: “Will approval of this Referendum cause any negative impact to the Township's efforts to preserve open space and farmland?” For the next 8 years, over 50% of future open space tax revenues are reserved for paying off bonds used for past open space purchases. Diverting up to 20% of the remainder will leave just under 30% of each year's collections. Therefore, approval of the referendum will limit the preservation of Open Space by diverting a significant amount of money available for preservation.

Q: Will approval of this Referendum affect the use of funds currently in the Township's Open Space Trust Fund?
A: No. The over $8 million of unencumbered funds in the Open Space Trust Fund will remain solely dedicated to preservation of open space and farmland.

FOHOS Answer: This answer is correct but the answer implies that a significant amount of money is available for future preservation because it is currently unencumbered (i.e. unspent). However, what is unmentioned is that the Township is currently negotiating for approximately 400 acres of property which will use up a large portion of this money. Therefore, in order to have enough money available for the next significant purchase, all future open space taxes (not already earmarked for paying existing debt) should be reserved solely for preservation.

Q. What about the current GSA depot project?
A: The over $8 million of unencumbered funds in the Open Space Trust Fund does not include the funds already encumbered for the GSA property acquisition and clean-up.

FOHOS Answer: This answer is correct but the response is limited to “acquisition and clean-up” of the GSA depot. Perhaps the reason why residents wonder whether the ballot question is linked to the ongoing work at the GSA depot is because the question includes the words “modify and expand the uses and purposes of the Open Space Trust Fund” This wording is so open-ended that it causes speculation unless an independent needs assessment is done before asking residents to vote, as was done by Somerset County. 

Q. How much does each resident pay into the Open Space fund each year?
A.: 2.8 cents per $100 dollars of assessed value.

FOHOS Answer: This amounts to approximately $100 for a house that is assessed at $350,000. Of this, $50 will go to paying off bonds from previous Open Space purchases, up to $20 will be used for unknown purposes if you vote yes, which leaves only the remaining $30 is for actual Open Space acquisitions.

Q: Will it become mandatory every year that up to 20% of the incoming open space tax revenues be used for recreational development?
A: This is not a mandatory allocation. Approval of the Referendum will allow an amount up to and not to exceed 20% in any given year beginning in 2014 to be allocated to open space development for recreational purposes.

FOHOS Answer: This answer is correct but what goes unmentioned is that Mayor DelCore stated at the July 23 Township Committee meeting that the Referendum will allow for any unused portion of the 20% provided for development to be carried over to be used in subsequent years. At the May meeting of Hillsborough's Open Space Advisory Committee (OSAC) meeting, Mr. Suraci stated several times that he wanted to “build up a fund.” You cannot build up a fund by returning the unused money every year. Again, the Township Committee keeps leaving out the full ballot question in their “answer” The question states “for recreation, conservation and general open space purposes”. Residents should wonder what “general open space purposes” could mean.

Q: How much money is involved?
A: The Township's open space tax proceeds are about $1.55 million per year. Approval of this Referendum will authorize the Township Committee to allocate up to 20% of this amount or approximately up to $310,000 to open space development for recreational purposes. 

FOHOS Answer: As previously mentioned, “for recreation, conservation and general open space purposes” is too open ended to allow voters to fully understand what they are being asked to approve. Up to $310,000 every year is a lot of money and its intended use deserves to be clearly defined.

Q: Why has the Township Committee put this question on the ballot?
A: Over the years, the Township has acquired and preserved many acres of property with Open Space Trust Funds. The current municipal budget does not provide sufficient funding for the recreational development of this property for use by the public. Approval of this Referendum would allow the Township Committee to allocate up to 20% of future Open Space Tax collections to the recreational development of this property for use by the public. The Township Committee wants the voters to decide if this should be done.

FOHOS Answer: Again this answer is incomplete. Exactly what recreational development is contemplated? In recent weeks, the Township Committee has emphasized the creation of trails on open space properties. However, in the approved public Open Space Advisory Committee May minutes, “Mr Suraci was asked about a Needs Assessment. He said none had been done. When asked where he envisioned a need, he said a turf field is needed but did not elaborate when questioned.” Further down in the minutes, “He was asked if a reduced % or a flat amount of money such as $100,00/per year would be acceptable. He said no. He wanted to “build up” a fund for recreation purposes but did not included trail development or passive recreation projects in his comments.” In fact, the minutes state that “Mr. Suraci did not agree that this (i.e. trails) was a priority”. Shouldn't voters be entitled to know exactly what is a priority?

Q: Will the Township Committee use the funds to pay for maintenance costs?
A: No. The funds will be used for recreational development projects. Maintenance costs come from the general municipal budget in a separate Parks operating budget line item. The Parks and Recreation Department currently maintains over 200 acres of open space/public parks. There are 9 dedicated staff members assigned to the daily maintenance of this land. The maintenance includes baseball, softball, football and soccer fields, playgrounds, tennis and basketball courts, ponds, picnic areas, nature trails and two pavilions.

FOHOS Answer: This answer states that open space tax money will not be used for maintenance and that 9 dedicated staff members are already required to maintain current parks. Unless these 9 staff members are not currently fully utilized, doesn't it stand to reason that new development will require additional staff (i.e. expense) for maintenance? Where will the money come from – higher property taxes? In addition, the list of recreational facilities currently requiring maintenance seems adequate. If all this has already been developed without using a single dime of open space tax money, why do we suddenly need to divert up to 20% of our open space tax dollars each and every year to development?

Q: If the Referendum is approved, does the current Township Committee have plans on what will be done with the available allocated funds?
A: If the Referendum is approved, the current Township Committee plans to conduct a needs assessment to determine what, if any, recreational development should take place. The Township Committee would then decide on addressing any identified recreational development needs. Somerset County followed a similar process years ago and has used a portion of open space tax funds for the recreational development of open space property for use by the public.

FOHOS Answer: The county process was only approved after a comprehensive needs assessment was completed and shared with the public. By not tying the Referendum to a needs assessment completed before the vote is taken, it opens the possibility that future Township officials, of either party, could use the money for any purpose vaguely related to open space even though it does not conform to the needs expressed by the residents of Hillsborough at the time the Referendum was voted on. In addition, at least 4 members of the current Township Committee have expressed their desires publicly even before asking residents what they think is important. They are recorded in approved Open Space Advisory Committee minutes, the Township Committee July 23rd meeting when they unanimously voted to put the Open Space question on the ballot after listening to residents’ concerns for more than 2 hours, videotapes of the Friendship of Hillsborough Open Space information forums, and in various articles where they have been quoted. Yet, they keep saying that, “It is up to the voters.”
In addition, note that the Township's answer includes this phrase: “conduct a needs assessment to determine what, if any, recreational development should take place”. If it is possible that no development should take place, why are residents being asked to vote on this referendum in the first place?
There are many ways to “develop and improve” open space and already the Township Committee’s responses show such a narrow view of the value of open space. They have not yet mentioned the value of reducing school related taxes and preventing more traffic congestion that are linked to increased development, removing invasive plants that cause an imbalance for the wildlife that live in open space areas, or how valuable open space is to absorb stormwater, reduce erosion, and reduce flooding. 

Q. What has the County used their funds for in recent years?
A: By way of example, the County purchased new picnic shelters at Colonial Park and Duke Island Park, new restroom facilities at the Green Knoll Tennis complex, trail extensions and new construction throughout the park system, new kiosks throughout the county park system, bridge replacements at Colonial Park and North Branch Park and Master Planning for a variety of locations, including Belle Mead Depot, Natirar Park and Lord Stirling Park.

FOHOS Answer: The County could also build trails and artificial turf fields in Hillsborough. Several members of the Township Committee have publicly demonstrated a commitment to artificial turf fields and trail building in the past few months and can follow through by asking the County to fund these projects with the 25% of County Open Space Taxes that are allocated for such projects.