SMITH - WATER TAX NECESSARY TO GUARANTEE OPEN SPACE PRESERVATION FUNDS

TRENTON – Senator Bob Smith, D-Middlesex, the Chair of the Senate Environment Committee and a sponsor of legislation to constitutionally dedicate water tax revenues to fund open space and farmland preservation, issued the following statement regarding the Committee’s hearing on his measure today:

“Today’s hearing was the first step in ensuring permanent funding for vital open space and farmland preservation projects in the State of New Jersey. We heard important testimony regarding historic preservation which we will consider and hopefully vote on the bill on May 19.“The fact of the matter is that New Jersey’s preservation programs are flat broke. Last year, voters approved stop-gap funding to keep the programs afloat through the upcoming budget year, but without additional revenue, we will not be able to continue these programs past June of next year.

“Since the inception of the Green Acres and farmland preservation programs, the State has taken this approach of providing a large pot of funding once the programs are in crisis, only to let the coffers run dry a few years later. Stop-gap payments and emergency funding are not the way to run our open space preservation programs. We need consistent, dedicated funding to allow these programs to meet their mission of protecting land for overdevelopment and sprawl and preserving our State’s agricultural heritage.