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Open Space Information Why Preserve Open Space in Weymouth Township? Preserving open space in Weymouth Township will help control the property tax rate. Residential housing costs more in municipal services then it pays. Buying and preserving such areas will cost less the long run and help keep taxes low, our town rural, and increase property values. In Atlantic County rural, less developed municipalities pay much less in property taxes than more developed ones. Hamilton Township has more than $1billion dollars in rateables and still has a higher tax rate then Weymouth Township. 2000 Effective Tax Rates from NJ Division of Taxation Rural Atlantic County Municipalities Effective Tax Rate for 2000 Equalized Valuation for 2000 Corbin City .950 24,630,398 Weymouth Township 1.940 99,422,230 Estell Manor 2.110 101,717,306
Developed Atlantic County Municipalities Effective Tax Rate for 2000 Equalized Valuation for 2000 Hamilton Township 2.490 1,347,416,697 Galloway Township 2.640 1,531,906,766 Atlantic City 3.090 6,838,928,704 Pleasantville 3.430 547,683,433
Other Developed South Jersey Municipalities Effective Tax Rate for 2000 Equalized Valuation for 1997 West Deptford, Gloucester County 2.803 1,347,416,697 Washington Twp., Gloucester County 3.034 2,094,759,271 Gloucester Twp., Camden County 3.120 2,055,224,265 Cherry Hill Twp., Camden County 3.180 4, 594,530,335
Information from the New Jersey Division of Taxation For Atlantic County tax rates click on http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/index.html?lpt/taxrate.htm~mainFrame For Atlantic County valuation tables click on http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/pdf/html/lpt/lpt01atl.htm
Trust Fund Information The New Jersey, Garden State Trust Fund was established spend $100,000,000 per year from the general budget to preserve open space and farmlands and for historic preservation in New Jersey. The Garden State Trust Fund funds the New Jersey Green Acres Program. Municipalities with established open space funds can apply for funds to purchase land for open space and recreation. Funding is a 50% grant and a 50% loan at 2% interest through the Green Acres Program for municipalities that have an open space trust fund. Municipalities with out a open space funds would only receive a 25% grant and 75% loan at 2% interest. More then one third of New Jersey Municipalities have open space funds for preserving open space and controlling property taxes. The Benefits of a Municipal Open Space Fund for Weymouth Twp. Open space stabilizes property taxes and will enhance home values when neighboring communities become more densely developed. Communities with lower density, recreational areas, low taxes, and less crowded schools, are preferred by homebuyers. Open space protects groundwater and preserves recharge areas. Many Township residents rely on private wells for water. In the long run open space will cost much less than development. Open space does not require taxpayer funded services, such as streets, schools, trash, collection, and fire protection. Open space could increase the New Jersey ‘payment in lieu of taxes’ for open space to Weymouth Twp. Open space will preserve the rural nature of Weymouth Twp. and help protect the fragile pinelands ecosystem. It will help keep the township’s rivers and streams clean. Our streams feed the Great Egg Harbor River, a resource heavily used by residents and others for fishing and recreation. There are matching state and county funds that are available for open space. Weymouth residents pay for these funds and should take advantage of them. There are also area conservation organizations that could help the township in acquiring open space. An open space program could also fund projects such as purchasing and preserving historic properties and for recreational projects. All but 2 New Jersey Counties and more than one third of New Jersey municipalities have open space funds. Landowners would be paid fair market value for their property. Open Space Links and Information
New Jersey Garden State Trust Fund information. http://www.state.nj.us/gspt/index.html New Jersey Garden State Trust Fund information. http://www.cga.state.ct.us/ps99/rpt/olr/htm/99-r-1026.htm New Jersey Garden State Trust Fund information. http://www.gsenet.org/library/12lnd/opspcbil.htm New Jersey Green Acres program information. http://www.state.nj.us/dep/greenacres/index.html Atlantic County municipal tax rates http://www.aclink.org/taxation/2001_rates.htm NJ municipal tax rates http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/index.html?lpt/taxrate.htm~mainFrame Table of Equalized Values, Atlantic County http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/pdf/html/lpt/lpt01atl.htm Open space articles and information from VERA http://members.tripod.com/veravoorhees/id22.htm Open space funding in New Jersey http://fdncenter.org/grantmaker/dorisduke/ns/environment/press3.html Open space funds in New Jersey http://www.njconservation.org/html/state/111500.html Benefits of Open Space article http://www.gsenet.org/library/12lnd/opnspctr.htm Myth of rateables http://www.gsenet.org/library/12lnd/ratemyth.htm South Jersey open space fund information http://www.dvrpc.org/planning/openspace/local.htm |