Renewing the Borough’s Open Space Tax – An Opportunity for Oakland Borough
An Editorial in support of the Renewal by Judith Joan Sullivan, Ramapough Conservancy
Op-Ed:
Recreation, conservation, and stewardship are necessary for a well-balanced community program of open space and natural resource protection. Meaningful recreational opportunities for all age groups and interests, from hiking and strolling, to lacrosse and baseball, to swimming and skiing are at the heart of ensuring healthy lives and lifestyles. Conservation of natural resources protects our limited and sensitive water supplies upon which we rely and are the scenic backdrop upon which the community resides. Stewardship ensures that residents are protected from hazardous events. Our state and the borough of Oakland have borne the brunt of a series of severe storms that have tested our strength and our patience; Oakland is making meaningful inroads working with our state and federal partners to remove residents from harm’s way. Bergen County is also stepping up, with strong encouragement from Oakland borough, to contribute its funding to address flood mitigation by purchasing homes in flood ravaged areas and once removed, creating open space for residents.
What is next for Oakland? The open space trust fund is supported by a local tax for preservation. This tax sunsets at the end of 2013 and the town is required, by the provision which set up the trust fund, to go back to the voters and ask them to consider renewing the tax for ten more years. What will renewing Oakland’s open space trust fund do for the community? It will ensure that progress made will continue to move forward and the clock won’t turn back for the Borough’s recreation and conservation programs. A local trust fund serves as a match to other dollars for land preservation. For every dollar spent, Oakland can bring in outside dollars to leverage these limited funds for land acquisition. State funding relies upon the local match for awards and federal dollars for emergency acquisition of flooded properties also relies upon local funding for preservation. The Borough is working with landowners whose properties have repeatedly flooded, and when flooded, lives of homeowners are at great risk, as are the emergency personnel who serve on search and rescue missions for stranded residents.
What has Oakland done? It was acquired land for local parks, for recreational areas, and for natural resource protection. Located in the heart of the Ramapo Mountains, Oakland is at the center of a stunning mountain range, panoramic view sheds, and rich habitat for a myriad of plants and animals. Historic resources are the heart of the landscape, lakes and streams which form the borders and boundaries of the community. These resources have, over the years, brought industry, wealth, and economic vitality to the town. Funding has supported efforts to protect cultural resources, improve our recreational facilities, and expand opportunities for new recreational programs and events. If the tax is allowed to sunset, progress gained will ground to a halt and Oakland will lose its race to match outside funding and secure the sites underway for preservation. The borough’s website offers the facts about the tax and municipal trust fund; review the numbers, read the ballot question, and vote on November 5th to renew the local funding for open space, for flood protection, for recreational programs and facilities, and for protection of the high quality of life that borough residents have historically supported and benefit from.
Ramapough Conservancy urges Oakland residents to vote YES to renew the funding for the borough’s open space trust fund to continue to preserve the important open space lands that make Oakland such a wonderful place to live.
Judith Joan Sullivan is an Oakland resident and is the Founder and Chair of Ramapough Conservancy. The Ramapough Conservancy helps protect, enhance and promote the extraordinary region of the Ramapo Mountains.