By ROBERT LINNEHAN
Following a special work session and a special borough meeting, the Haddonfield Commissioners agreed to lower the maximum open space tax rate from 2 cents per every $100 of assessed property value to just 1 cent.
In the November general elections, Haddonfield voters will have the chance to re-up the borough’s open space tax, which currently sees a half-cent per $100 of assessed property value placed into a special open space trust fund, which can be used for the purchase and maintenance of open space in the borough.
The original open space tax question was passed five years ago by borough voters, Borden said, which had a special clause that would cancel the tax after five years. If approved by borough voters, it would go back into effect for another five years.
At the suggestion of Borden, the commissioners discussed the maximum open space tax that Haddonfield could apply to homeowners. The old referendum had the maximum rate at 2-cents, Borden said.
Soon after the referendum passed, Haddonfield conducted a reassessment of its borough homes, he said. This basically doubled the average assessed home value to its current $491,000 rate.
After the assessment, the commissioners lowered the 1-cent open space tax rate to a half-cent, Borden said, to avoid taxpayers having to pay double the open space tax after the reassessment.
Because of this, Borden said it was unnecessary for the borough to keep the maximum open space tax at 2-cent. He proposed cutting the maximum rate to 1-cent.
A 1-cent maximum rate would be about $50 a year for the average assessed home, Borden said. The current half-cent rate is about $25 a year, he said.
It’s also important to note for borough voters and taxpayers that the commissioners have never authorized the full open space tax rate in the five years that it’s been on the books, he said.
Both Commissioner Jeff Kasko and Mayor Tish Colombi approved of the change. It was passed in an unanimous decision.
