Wesley Bishop Bonded, But Fate of Open Space Fund Still Unclear

Following last week’s talk of , township council voted Monday to bond $1.4 million for the  project.

But anyone looking for assurances that council won’t use the Open Space Trust Fund to pay for it will have to wait.

Council was full of positivity Monday night after approving unanimously—on first reading—a $1.4 million bond for improvements to the park, seemingly clearing the path for progress on the long-stalled project.

Prior to the vote, township manager Scott Carew ran down a list of all the major capital projects before the township—Wesley Bishop North, the municipal complex, recreation center improvements, etc.—and their total price tag: roughly $19 million. Over a 20-year bond, he explained that would cost taxpayers $163.33.

However, Carew explained those expenses are just about equally offset by other revenue: , , , and more.

Based on financial officer Tom Merchel’s projections, the impact of all those projects, with the offsetting revenue, is “essentially tax neutral,” according to Carew.

Encouraged by that news, council members Chris Chiacchio and Stacey Jordan—who had previously opposed bonding the Wesley Bishop project—were enthusiastic in their support Monday.

“It’s my job as a councilman to not just fix things and maintain things, but it’s to improve things,” said Chiacchio, “and here’s an opportunity to improve the town with no negative impact to the taxpayer. And no one’s going to argue the importance of sports.”

Following council’s 5-0 vote—with Deputy Mayor Greg Gallo literally phoning in his vote after getting held up in North Jersey on a business meeting—to bond the project, resident Monique Begg asked for an assurance that council would leave the Open Space, Recreation, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund untouched.

While Jordan said her intention is to pay for Wesley Bishop through other means, Mayor John Button responded by explaining Monday’s vote was simply to bond the project, and had nothing to do with how to pay for it.

“There’s no reason for us to have that particular discussion and solve for it tonight,” he said.

It's possible, given the timetable of the project, that the decision of how to fund it will be left to the next township council.

Jordan’s statement was a shift from , in which the two council members asked OSAC if it would support “an annual contribution from the OS fund to be applied to the debt service.”

She explained her position changed after seeing the information presented by Carew regarding all the additional revenue coming to the township in the coming months and years.

“A lot of that’s set in stone now,” said Jordan. “Because of that, it showed we were in good shape.”

She said STEM’s (Save The Environment of Moorestown) lawsuit against the township——was also a major reason she and Chiacchio coming around to the idea of bonding, and added she hopes the lawsuit is dropped as a result of Monday’s vote.

It wasn’t immediately clear what effect, if any, council’s decision will have on STEM’s case, but Button’s refusal to promise not to touch the Trust Fund could keep the lawsuit in play.

“Council’s job is to optimize the way we use our dollars,” he explained after the meeting. “We should be using that fund for all its intended purposes.”

The mayor indicated he would consider rescinding —but only if/when the bond ordinance passes on second reading at council’s next meeting on Sept. 10.