In response to the New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee’s December 8, 2014 hearing on implementation of Public Question 2 (you can read press reports of that meeting here and here), the Byram Township Mayor and Council passed the resolution below supporting restoration of funding to state parks and historic sites at their meeting last night.
As I’ve stated before, with passage of Question 2 came serious financial impacts on our state parks and historic sites, severely limiting their ability to fund capital projects, such as building or repairing restrooms, roads, and bridges. With a $400 million backlog of repairs, new construction and improvements to existing facilities in state parks and historic sites, dedicated funding has been virtually eliminated. The State Legislature now has before it the task of divvying up the $71 million of Corporation Business Tax (CBT) funds which were diverted from current programs and assigning them to programs as allowed under the constitutional amendment approved by voters.
These cuts have the potential for major impact on the local economy of Byram Township – and any other municipality hosting a state park or historic site – as you can see by reading the resolution, and we took full advantage of this opportunity to make our feelings and concerns known to the Senate Environment and Energy Committee. The committee left a 30-day window open for submission of comments, so if you or your municipal governing body have strong feelings about how these public funds are used, you can submit your comments to them via email to OLSAideSEN@njleg.org through January 7, 2015.
While the December 8 hearing was only the first of what I’m sure will be many on this subject, it has become obvious that assignment of funds and implementation of programs will become a contentious process, with members of the ‘Keep It Green’ coalition lobbying heavily for their interests and not necessarily those of our state parks and historic sites.
Please take this and every opportunity to make your thoughts and concerns known to our legislators. They need to hear from all of us.
Speak up and be part of the solution!
TOWNSHIP OF BYRAM RESOLUTION NO. 189-2014
RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT RESTORATION OF FUNDING TO STATE PARKS PROGRAMS WHICH WILL SUFFER CUTS DUE TO DIVERSION OF CORPORATION BUSINESS TAX FUNDS DUE TO PUBLIC APPROVAL OF NEW JERSEY BALLOT QUESTION 2
WHEREAS, Byram Township, located in Sussex County, is the home of several thousand acres of heavily-forested State Lands, formally known as Allamuchy Mountain State Park, a tourist haven for hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing, birding, photography, and other recreational activities; and
WHEREAS, located within Allamuchy Mountain State Park is Waterloo Village, a historic site of local, state and national importance that uniquely showcases the history of this country’s social, economic, and industrial growth since even before its earliest settlement; and
WHEREAS, Byram Township is depending on these significant, local natural and historic resources in its plan for economic development and growth, highlighting them as a key quality-of-life and eco-tourism assets as we attempt to draw visitors, new residents and new businesses to our Township; and
WHEREAS, there currently exists a greater than $400 million backlog of repairs, new construction and improvements to existing facilities in state parks and historic sites; and
WHEREAS, numerous Byram Township residents, including members of this governing body, have invested significant volunteer time and effort into the restoration of historic Waterloo Village by actively participating in, and supporting efforts of, Friends of Waterloo Village, The Canal Society of New Jersey, Winakung at Waterloo and others; and
WHEREAS, Byram Township has welcomed a new business – Jeffery Miller Catering (JAM) – as concessionaire at historic Waterloo Village, and supports JAM’s effort to repair and enhance the non-historic facilities there while contributing – through its contractual agreement – to the ongoing repairs and restorations to the historic features of the Village; and
WHEREAS, ongoing repairs at Waterloo Village, and the presence of a new concessionaire, creates opportunity for new jobs for Byram residents, as well as new opportunities for existing Byram businesses to profit from increased activity within the Village and surrounding park lands; and
WHEREAS, recent passage of New Jersey Ballot Question 2 will have serious financial impact on state parks and historic sites like Allamuchy Mountain and Waterloo Village, severely limiting their ability to fund capital projects, such as building or repairing restrooms, roads, and bridges, since past dedicated funding through the Corporation Business Tax (CBT) has been virtually eliminated; and
WHEREAS, the New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee held a hearing on December 8, 2014 seeking testimony from the public on the implementation of Ballot Question 2, and Byram Township wishes to express its concerns on potential impacts of fund diversion to the Committee;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Council of Byram Township do hereby request that the New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee ensure that the legislation implementing distribution of funds as part of Ballot Question 2 fully restores funding for the programs for capital improvements and stewardship of state parks and historic sites to the same or greater levels as prior to diversion of funds from the CBT; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Council of Byram Township request that new legislation be enacted that allows income from concessions agreements for specific state parks and historic sites be directed into a dedicated account for that specific state park or historic site, so that the income derived from these private concessions on public lands be utilized to repair, enhance or improve the state park or historic site from which the income is generated; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Council of Byram Township request that 5% of the funds from the CBT be allocated to stewardship of county and local parks and preserved lands through competitive matching grants similar to Green Acres acquisition and development grants; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Council of Byram Township request that no taxpayer funds be allocated to non-profit NGOs for stewardship of lands held by these non-profit land trusts, since these NGOs and their members already benefit from funds generated by programs they run, and are eligible for private and foundational funding, unlike governmental agencies; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Mayor and Council of Byram Township directs the Township Clerk to forward certified copies of this resolution to New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee; New Jersey State Senator Steven Oroho; New Jersey Assembly Members Alison McHose and Parker Space; New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bob Martin; New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry Director Mark Texel; New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry Assistant Director John Trontis; New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Parks and Forestry Northern Region Superintendent Steve Ellis; The Sussex County Board of Chosen Freeholders; the Governing Bodies of all other Sussex County Municipalities; the Friends of Waterloo Village; and The Canal Society of New Jersey.
BYRAM TOWNSHIP COUNCIL
December 16, 2014