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Commissioner presses early referendum to extend Sussex County farmland preservation funding
Summary
Commissioner DeGroot urged the board to authorize a November referendum to continue the Sussex County Farmland Preservation, Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund for an additional 10 years, citing municipal support; other commissioners raised questions about wording, timing and fund balances.
Commissioner DeGroot told the Sussex County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 13 that authorizing a public referendum this year to extend the county’s farmland preservation tax should be a top 2025 priority.
DeGroot said the referendum would seek voter approval in November to continue the Sussex County Farmland Preservation, Recreation and Open Space Trust Fund for another 10 years and that several municipalities and county agricultural boards have already passed resolutions urging the board to act.
"When I commit to something I follow through," Commissioner DeGroot said, adding that municipalities including Sandown Township, Green Township, Byram Township, Stillwater Township, Frankford Township, Hamburg Borough, Montague Township and Lafayette Township committees had passed supporting resolutions and that the Sussex County Agricultural Development Board and Sussex County Board of Agriculture had acted similarly.
The proposal prompted questions from other commissioners about whether a countywide resolution should be drafted and approved by the full board before municipalities circulated or relied on an older sample resolution. Commissioner Henderson asked whether the resolution DeGroot used had been approved by the board, and DeGroot replied that the sample language he provided was offered on his own behalf to municipalities.
Henderson and others also pressed for data before finalizing a referendum proposal. Deputy Director Space and other commissioners discussed recent fund balances and preservation statistics; Space said the farmland preservation fund had averaged about $395,000 a year in collections over the last decade and that the county currently held about $6.2 million in rolling funds. Space also noted that 47% of Sussex County land is preserved, with roughly 37% remaining undeveloped land, and asked that staff provide formal data and a draft resolution for board review.
DeGroot said the August deadline for inclusion on the November ballot made early action important and that he planned to begin immediate engagement with municipalities.
The board did not adopt a countywide resolution at the Feb. 13 meeting; DeGroot asked that staff and counsel prepare options and that planning staff present clarifying data in a future meeting.
Why it matters: The farmland preservation trust fund finances purchase of development rights and other conservation measures; a voter-approved continuation would extend county authority to collect the dedicated tax for preservation. Commissioners requested additional factual briefings and legal drafting before any countywide resolution is placed on the ballot.
What’s next: The board asked planning staff to prepare data and a draft referendum resolution for future consideration; counsel will advise on ballot language and legal options for including a cap or conditions if the board chooses to place the measure before voters.
