Open space tax bodes well for Byram - County voters approve raising farm preservation tax

BYRAM - Area residents pulled in the reigns Tuesday on future development by approving a referendum that increases the county open space tax an additional 1.5 cents. The measure was approved by 57 percent of the voters, a smaller margin than had established the tax in 2000. Byram officials, who have been staunch proponents of open space preservation in the township, welcomed the news. “The county funding really helps,” said Margaret McGarrity, of the Byram Environmental Commission and Opens Space Committee. “This vote reflects well on what people in this county want to see happen.” Byram has been successful in receiving three grants from the county fund since the tax was established. The township currently has an application with the county to preserve a parcel of land near Lake Mohawk for use as a greenway. “We have a positive, aggressive open space program,” said McGarrity. “It is part of our vision for the township. This vote is a very positive step for Byram and Sussex County.” Sussex County already has a dedicated tax of 2 cents per $100 assessed property value for farmland and open space preservation. The freeholders proposed the additional 1.5-cent tax, but the neighboring Sparta Township council urged its residents to vote no on the countywide ballot question, claiming that the municipality does not receive its share of fund. Since 2001, the tax has led to the purchase of 1,351 acres of open space land and the preservation of about 7,000 acres of farmland. During that time, the county’s open space tax has taken in $12 million, spent $4 million and the remaining $8 million has been committed to future efforts. Sparta, which already has a municipal preservation tax, contributes a larger portion of taxes than any of the other 23 municipalities in the county to open space, said councilman Scott Seelagy. The council believes the township will now carry an added burden for protecting the county’s open space without a guaranteed return of investment. The freeholders maintain that the rural character of the county does have its benefits, particularly in terms of limiting traffic. But with few farms left in Sparta, township officials believe there is little land to preserve. Sparta will now fund $300,000 of the $2.25 million generated in new taxes a year to the county. Of the $3.1 million that the county took in this year, Sparta contributed $564,000, the most of any town. Sparta already has a 2-cent tax per $100 assessment for open space and land preservation. Residents, for example, with a $320,000 property assessment, pay $64 a year into the fund. The dedicated tax, approved overwhelmingly in May 2000, paved the way for the purchase of property at White Lake.