PARK RIDGE, N.J.—Local voters will be asked Nov. 3 whether they wish to continue funding a municipal Open Space fund through a small annual tax on their properties.
Voters have supported Open Space funding since November 2016, when the fund was approved. It was approved again five years later, in November 2021.
The annual tax amounts to a levy of 0.007, or seven-tenths of a cent per $100 of assessed real property value. On an average home assessed at $475,614, the annual municipal Open Space tax would total $33.29.
The council voted 5-0 on July 20 to approve the public question, with Councilor William Fenwick abstaining. Fenwick said he was abstaining not because he opposed a local Open Space fund, but because voters should be allowed to revisit the funding tax every five or 10 years through a referendum.
However, Mayor Keith Misciagna noted that the council retains the authority to repeal the local tax at any time and does not need to wait for a referendum. Fenwick noted that a provision allowing a referendum vote every 10 years was removed, which led to his abstention.
Fenwick noted that previous Open Space tax referendums had included a so-called “sunset clause” requiring renewal by voters every five years, giving residents the ability to vote down the tax if they wished.
Although he said he supported the Open Space fund, Fenwick suggested future governing bodies might not use the fund as effectively as the current council. Without a provision for periodic referendum votes on the local tax, he abstained.
Misciagna noted that the local Open Space tax is critical for obtaining county and state Open Space funding, as certain grant programs require matching funds from municipalities. He also noted that public hearings must be held on every county Open Space grant application, allowing residents to offer comments before submissions are made.
Both Misciagna and Councilor Michael Mintz noted that the Open Space tax has brought many benefits to Park Ridge and that, if voters wanted the tax discontinued, that could be done without a referendum.
Mintz said residents are generally vocal in expressing their views and would let the council know if they disagreed with its actions. There was no need to wait for a public referendum to gauge public opinion, he said.
Borough Clerk Maggie Giandomenico told Pascack Press that the current municipal Open Space fund has approximately $622,641.77 available for local projects and matching funds. She said the borough is awaiting a $232,000 Bergen County grant reimbursement for its recent acquisition of the Wortendyke Homestead at 12 Pascack Road.
The historic Dutch stone house, dating to the 1750s, was the borough’s most recent acquisition and is slated for historical analysis and restoration as grants become available.
Giandomenico said Park Ridge is nearing completion of its historic train station renovation project, for which it received a $412,150 county historic preservation grant.
Other recent projects incorporating Open Space funds include lighting and installation at Sulak Field; installation of a rubber safety surface at Memorial Park; acquisition of 3.15 acres on North Fifth Street for passive recreation; Davies Field improvements; and basketball court installation at Sulak Lane Park.
The public question approved asks voters:
“Shall the Borough of Park Ridge continue the Open Space, Recreation and Historic Preservation Trust Fund to preserve the character of Park Ridge through an annual levy of up to 0.007 per $100 of assessed valuation of real property for the purposes of protecting drinking water supplies and water quality in ponds and streams; conserving natural areas; developing, maintaining and acquiring lands for recreation and conservation, including the improvement of recreational facilities; and preserving and acquiring historic properties, with spending based on recommendations of a citizens oversight committee and all funds subject to annual audit?”