There is a public question on every Ocean County ballot this year.
“Shall the Ocean County Natural Lands Trust Fund, which was approved and established by referendum in 1997 to preserve farmland and open space from development, with a tax rate of 1.2 cents per $100 of total County equalized real property valuation, and then amended by referendum in 2019 to allow for the acquisition, development and maintenance of lands for recreational and historic preservation purposes, increase its funded rate from 1.2 cents per $100 of total County equalized real property valuation, to 2.2 cents per $100 of total County equalized real property valuation.”
Since the Open Space tax was approved by voters, over 30,000 acres of land have been preserved from development forever. The acquisitions of open space slows growth, protects sources of drinking water, mitigates flooding and improves quality of life.
The Open Space funds are administered by the Ocean County Board of Commissioners with guidance from the Natural Lands Trust Advisory Committee.
However, over the last 30 years, while the Open Space tax has remained the same, the cost of purchasing and preserving land has continued to rise due to inflation, as has just about every other cost.
Meanwhile, the need for preserving more acres of land to slow growth has risen as well.
Ocean County’s population has continued to grow, becoming one of the most sought-after places to live in New Jersey and the Northeast. Because of this, the cost of land has continued to rise. Consequently, the county continues to prioritize preservation to ensure that the natural character of the county stays intact.
Almost doubling the Open Space tax would allow Ocean County to do three things:
It will protect the county’s diverse bird and wildlife species by ensuring their habitats are safeguarded with continued acquisition activities.
It will ensure the county’s groundwater and Category One watersheds remain clean and safe for drinking and recreation with maintenance activities and cleanups.
It will prevent massive development projects that threaten the county’s unique charm and character, and allow for a buffer against Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst by preserving areas that are not compatible for development.
The county released figures showing how much a homeowner’s Open Space taxes would increase. The owner of a home assessed at $400,000 currently pays $48 for the program; if the additional 1 cent tax is approved, it would cost such an owner $40 more. Owners of $600,000 homes would see their Open Space tax rise from $72 to $132. Meanwhile, owners of homes assessed at $800,000, who currently pay $96 a year, would end up paying $176. Note the $400,000, $600,000 and $800,000 numbers – two decades ago the figures would have been more like $200,000, $300,000 and $400,000. The price of housing in the county has obviously soared.
The Ocean County Board of Commissioners is standing behind the public question, writing that “Open space preservation has never been more important to Ocean County’s future and to protecting our quality of life.” But is 2026, where so many people are struggling to pay for gasoline and groceries, a good year for proposing a tax increase?
Meanwhile, the residents of some towns may be saying, “That Open Space tax didn’t slow down development in my town.” Many residents of Little Egg Harbor, for example, have furiously been fighting large new developments in their township this past year. They may have been thinking, “How come Open Space money wasn’t given to us considering those developments will spoil our unique charm and character?” Perhaps additional funds would make that possible in the future.
The voters of all of the county’s municipalities approved the 1997 referendum.
