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West Amwell Open Space Committee proposes cut to open-space tax and names Cronce chair
Summary
At its Jan. 13 meeting the West Amwell Open Space Committee nominated John Cronce as chair, proposed lowering the open-space tax from 6 cents to 4 cents for 2026–27, and approved secretary pay at $20 an hour. The budget will be discussed in April and targeted for adoption in June.
The West Amwell Township Open Space Committee on Jan. 13 nominated John Cronce as chair and proposed reducing the committee’s property-tax levy for open-space preservation from 6 cents to 4 cents for the 2026–27 budget year.
The nomination of Cronce as chair and Julie Chang as secretary was recorded during the committee’s reorganization. Committee members approved secretary compensation at $20 per hour; members instructed that minutes be sent to Maria for record-keeping.
Committee members said the lower levy is part of a budget framework that will be discussed in April and is expected to be formally adopted in June. The committee framed the proposal as balancing continued land-preservation funding with taxpayer considerations; no formal county or township budget vote was recorded at the Jan. 13 session.
The Open Space Committee’s work was described in the meeting as part of a long-standing township priority that began in the mid-1990s and was codified with the adoption of the Open Space Trust Fund in 2000. Members noted the program’s role in protecting the township’s water supply, reducing flood risk, and preserving a contiguous tract of the Sourland Mountain forest.
The committee scheduled its next regular meeting for April 14, 2026, at 7 p.m., when members plan to review properties being considered for preservation and to continue budget discussions.
