To the Editor:

Spring has descended and it’s great to see so many of you out enjoying our great town and its myriad activities in the warm weather.

As I begin, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how often I hear misinformation presented as fact, which evokes opinions or actions that, in my view, are misplaced.  The best remedy, of course, is for us to provide the real facts, which we try to do in a variety of ways. Accordingly, I hope you’ll find these comments informative. This update will focus on several issues that have been the basis of recent discussion – our township budget, particularly as it relates to taxes and the use of monies from the Moorestown Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund (FUND).

Certainly during my tenure on town council, taxes have been the No. 1 priority expressed by our residents. After many weeks of intensive analysis by our township staff and council to minimize the tax impact of our budget, we introduced and approved our 2011 budget of $22.9 million (still less than our 2008 budget of $23.1 million) on first reading and the public hearing was set for our 6/27/11 official action meeting. Again, we avoided using unsustainable revenue sources, such as deferred school taxes, to balance our budget, and focused on a disciplined spending approach which, together with renegotiated labor agreements, helped us keep the annual impact of the proposed budget to the homeowner of an average assessed residence of $533,800 at $26.69.  Our biggest hurdles were pension and healthcare costs, a refinanced tax appeal and a short-term debt service increase that occurred as we continue to experience a decline in ratables.  We have driven operational costs down over the past couple of years and we continue looking for ways to manage better and more creatively, taking advantage of new technology and shared or outsourced solutions.  Of course, we remain conscious of the importance of investing in our assets, as well, to preserve their value and prevent higher costs in the future. We are looking very hard at the revenue side of our budget to see how we can improve our ratables, for we recognize this is essential in the long-term. You will hear more from us on these topics as we begin our planning early for next year.

Open Space, and Council’s commitment to it, has been a topic of recent conversation, and even controversy, which is unfortunate given that all of us on Council are staunch supporters of open space preservation.  There has been discussion recently suggesting Council should spend money from the FUND only on open-space acquisitions or maintenance of land purchased solely with money from the FUND. What’s missing from that argument is the impact it will have on future taxes. The proper name of the FUND is the Moorestown Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund, which clearly implies a variety of permitted uses. Restricting the use of the FUND solely for open space acquisition or for maintenance and development only applicable to land purchased with FUND money would result in the inability to use the FUND for many of its other necessary and intended purposes. As an example, maintenance of our newly acquired 1 High Street property and other property that wasn’t purchased with Fund money would be prohibited, as would using the FUND money to seek Green Acres matches on acquisitions. The result is that we would have to pay those costs from our general fund, which is generated through taxation. It is simply not consistent with creating a sustainable foundation for managing our township tax burden, which, again, is our No. 1 priority.  

Please note, that, in fact, no action council has taken is threatening to open space acquisition.  As an example,  although not classified as open space, per se, but subject to funding from the FUND, the Browning Hess family has recently accepted the county’s offer to purchase the development rights to their farm (roughly 40 acres) on the west end of town, thus assuring it will stay a farm in perpetuity.  The township has been working with the county and the Browning Hess family on this for many months, with the full knowledge that the township obligation would be for 20% of the cost, and we’re thrilled that it appears to be headed to closure before year-end.  The fund currently has nearly $2 million, with over $1 million additionally owed it by the state.  According to our budget filing, the fund is projected to grow to over $6 million by 2028.

There are different guidelines on the recommended amount of Open Space (developed or developable) in a community and Moorestown substantially exceeds all that I have seen. In 2007, our Township residents approved a referendum, by a greater than 2 to 1 majority, specifically extending the life of this  FUND for a number of specific uses, including (but not limited to) “acquisition of land for recreation and conservation purposes; development of land for recreation and conservation purposes; maintenance of land for recreation and conservation purposes; and payment of debt service on indebtedness issued or incurred by a municipality for any of the purposes set forth…..”. The wording on our local referendum was the same as that on both the state statute and the county referendum. Some of our residents have indicated that the use of funds for anything other than open space land acquisition was not what they voted for back when the FUND was created and when that use was given an extended life in 2007. While I do not sit in judgment, all authorized uses were clearly delineated in the original referendum. Because this tax is already being levied, use of these funds does not impose any increase, at all, on our taxpayers. And, of course, the fund balance grows by the amount that payment into the fund exceeds expenses drawn from the FUND. In fact, it is important to note that this council is using, and past councils have used, some of our FUND for general field maintenance for properties not acquired solely with assistance from the FUND and the balance has continued to grow. It should also be noted that the authorized uses apply to land purchased with, or without, FUND money.  

It is our commitment, as Council, to act responsibly by doing what we perceive to be in the best interests of our residents and taxpayers. Consequently, utilizing the FUND is an essential tool for us to consider when projects fall within its authorized uses, particularly during this difficult economic time. Investing in maintenance and upgrades of some of our athletic fields meets these criteria, whereas many projects do not.  Installing artificial turf, as recommended to us by experts analyzing the situation based on the amount of use our fields get and the need to rest the natural grass fields, has been done by towns throughout New Jerse, funded similarly. The funding mechanism we choose does not lessen our need to manage the costs of our projects down wherever possible, without compromising the quality of the results. Hopefully, the manner in which we’ve stabilized taxes over the past couple of years is an indicator of our continuing commitment to excellence in that regard.

We have worked hard to create a sustainable foundation for our budget that will allow us to better manage and control our taxes over time. Keeping Moorestown a special place, with all that it encompasses, in a very difficult economy, will remain our priority.  Please remember, we’re all in this together and, while we’re entitled to different opinions, continuing to respect each other and to keep on pulling together for the betterment of our township is what will keep us great! Thank you for the continued privilege of serving this great township. See you on Main Street!

Mayor John Button