Haddonfield’s Open Space Trust Fund will continue, after 73.84 percent of voters approved of the one municipal question on this year’s ballot. According to unofficial results from the Camden County Board of Elections, more than 5,000 Haddonfield residents voted on Election Day.
“I am very pleased the people of Haddonfield decided to renew (the Open Space Trust Fund) permanently. I think it is a good thing for our town, and I’m happy people voted for it,” Mayor Jeff Kasko said.
According to a borough release, the open space tax levy was set to expire at the end of 2016. With the passing of the question, the maximum tax that could be collected is one cent, which would raise approximately $225,000 each year. This equates to $49 per year for the borough’s averaged assessed property of $488,481.
Borough commissioners have the right to assess the open space tax at less than the maximum amount each year. For the past few years, commissioners have not authorized the full assessment. Right now, the borough collects at a half cent.
“(The passing of the municipal question) gets rid of uncertainty and allows us to plan better for the future with any open space plans … and we can accumulate every year and not spend it to allow for bigger (open space) acquisitions,
preservations or recreation projects,” Kasko said.
The Open Space Trust Fund can be used for the purchase of land for active recreation such as sports fields, passive recreation such as walking trails and parks, and conservation of open space; the development of active and passive recreation on borough-owned land; the maintenance cost for any recreation areas owned by the borough; the purchase and maintenance of historic preservation purposes; and the maintenance of existing historic properties.
“The funds can be specifically used at the Bancroft site, the Boxwood property and other needs in places like Crows Woods,” Kasko said.
Having such a fund also allows Haddonfield to apply for double the amount of state Green Acres Program grants to help purchase open space. For example, Haddonfield could apply for 50 percent of the purchase price of a property rather than 25 percent.
Every year, there would be a public audit of all expenditures.
In the Haddonfield school board election, the three seats open were filled by candidates Mary E. Fagan, Matt Ritter and David C. Siedell with 33.25 percent of the votes. The
three ran unopposed in the election.
Maureen Eyles was also elected to fill the unexpired term on the school board of Drew Hansen, and she was the only candidate running for the seat.
In the 1st Congressional District of the House of Representatives, incumbent Democrat Donald Norcross defeated Republican nominee Bob Patterson, Scot John Tomaszewski of the We Deserve Better Party, William F. Sihr, IV of the Libertarian Party and Michael Berman of
Americanindependents.org. Norcross won 62.79 percent of the votes.
Camden Board of Chosen Freeholders Democratic incumbents Edward T. McDonnell and Carmen G. Rodriguez were chosen over Republican challengers Robert Stone and Claire H. Gustafson. McDonnell won 32.23 percent of the vote, and Rodriguez won 32.40 percent, with their challengers receiving 18.03 percent and 17.25 percent, respectively.
For the two statewide referendum questions, the first, asking “Do you approve amending the constitution to permit casino gambling in two additional counties in this state?” did not pass, as 78 percent of voters opposed.
The second barely passed with 54 percent of the state voting yes to the question, “Do you approve amending the constitution to dedicate all revenue from the state motor fuels tax and petroleum products gross receipts tax
to the Transportation Trust Fund?”
The unofficial results include mail-in, but not provisional ballots.
