Open Space Public Question PASSED

In two separate articles published in the Burlington County Times this week, what was hoped for was approved. The residents of New Jersey, and specifically in Burlington County, approved additional funding for open space preservation.

Open space and partisan elections backed in county

By: FROM STAFF REPORTS

Burlington County Times

Even in tough economic times, Burlington County residents continue to support efforts to preserve what remains of the state's open space.

According to unofficial results, 24,902 county voters cast ballots in support of the state's borrowing $400 million to replenish the now-empty coffers of the Garden State Preservation Trust, which is the chief source of funding for open space, farmland and historic preservation.

Open-space funding approved in New Jersey

By: DAVID PORTER

The Associated Press

When all was said and done, New Jerseyans again decided to spend more green to be more green.

Despite warnings that harsh economic realities would finally lead to a 'no' vote on borrowing money to fund open space programs, Garden State voters approved the measure Tuesday, albeit by a smaller margin than in previous years.

With 98 percent of precincts reporting, 52 percent of voters said yes to the "Green Acres" ballot question that asked them to approve borrowing $400 million for open space initiatives. More than 1.5 million votes were cast.

In 11 previous votes dating back to 1961, New Jerseyans had backed some form of open-space funding, usually by a considerable margin. But a 2007 vote was closer, and a recent Rutgers-Eagleton Poll indicated voters were split over whether to approve the measure this time around.

"I'm so proud of the electorate for voting as they did, particularly in these extraordinarily difficult economic times," said Assemblyman John McKeon, D-West Orange, an open space advocate. "It shows that New Jersey voters are responsible stewards of the environment."

The money has been used over the last few decades to buy land for recreation and conservation, preserve farmland and pay for historic preservation projects. Opponents have said the state must stop borrowing money until it solves its current fiscal woes.

Tuesday's question passed in 15 of New Jersey's 21 counties, and met with the most resistance in the more rural counties of Sussex, Warren and Morris, all of which gave strong support to winning GOP gubernatorial candidate Christopher Christie.

According to McKeon, Christie was sympathetic to open space issues when he was a freeholder in Morris County, but it was impossible to tell whether that would inform his actions as governor.

"I hope philosophically he's intelligent enough to understand this issue not just from a quality of life standpoint, but also from an economic standpoint," McKeon said.

November 04, 2009 12:12 AM