For Immediate Release
November 6, 2020
MIDDLETOWN, NJ —More than 66 percent* of Middletown voters overwhelmingly supported the Open Space referendum on the November 2020 General Election Ballot. Approval of this ballot question will allow the Township Committee to amend the dedicated Open Space Trust annual collection rate from $.02 to $.03 per $100 in equalized valuation.
The Middletown Open Space Trust was established by the voters of Middletown in 1998 with a dedicated tax levy of $.01 per $100 in equalized valuation to ensure that the Township would be able to fund acquisitions and improvements to open space and parkland properties. In 2002, voters supported an amendment to an annual collection rate of $.02 per $100 in equalized valuation.
“Earlier this year the Township Committee and I committed to preserving the undeveloped land that we have here in Middletown,” said Mayor Tony Perry. “Our residents have made their voices heard and together we will work to protect and preserve Middletown’s remaining open space for future generations.”
With this approval, the Township Committee will hold a public hearing to determine the allocation of the increased proceeds to the Open Space Trust Fund and officially change the name of the fund to an all-encompassing “Municipal Open Space, Recreation, Floodplain Protection, and Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund”.
“I am grateful to the voters of Middletown who supported this incredibly important initiative,” said Mayor Perry. “We all want to ensure that our children and grandchildren inherit the Middletown we enjoy today. Discussions for purchasing well-known properties in every section of Middletown are already underway, and with this approval these acquisitions are now possible.”
*This was the percentage at the time of publication.
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