The most surprising thing about the passing of the Open Space Referendum on the ballot in West Windsor may be that 1,319 people voted, in essence, to raise their taxes.
That figure, which represents 17.5 percent of voters, pales in comparison to the 5,375 who voted for a reduction in the open space tax. Bundled into the question is a clause that raises the amount of funds collected from the open space tax that can be spent on maintenance of existing open space holdings. With the passing of the referendum, that figure is raised from a maximum of 10 percent to 25 percent.
While Barbara Pfeifer supported the referendum as written, Will Anklowitz detailed his problem with its structure during a debate. Anklowitz said, “I’m in favor of anything that lowers taxes. But I don’t support raising the maintenance amount to 25 percent. My kids use that space, they play soccer, but this is saying the entire township should pay for them to be able to do that, and I don’t think they should have to.”
Anklowitz said the referendum should not have been lumped into one question. He supported presenting voters with one question for the amount of the tax, and one for the amount which could be spent on maintenance.
When the referendum was written in August, Township Attorney Michael J. Herbert said the reason for its structure had to do with precedent. There has never been a vote in West Windsor on Open Space where the decision on the tax rate and the maintenance allotment were separated into two questions. “Going back to 1998, we have had the tax amount and the maintenance allocation in one referendum,” said Herbert.
Precedent is not the only reason Herbert gives for the current structure of the proposed vote. Clarity is another. “The second issue is contingent on the first. I don’t know how we could separate it.”
The high number of residents who voted to raise their taxes could be an indication that they would have preferred to see the township try to separate the referendum into two questions.
“Twenty-five percent will make it more realistic and easier to turn some of this open space into something residents can use,” said Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh.
