Mt. Laurel residents approved changes to open space spending, residents voted in local and state races.
While there were no contested races for Mt. Laurel Township Council or the Mt. Laurel Schools Board of Education this year, Mt. Laurel voters did send the township a resounding “Yes” last week when they voted to approve a change to how the township can spend money collected from open space taxes.
Voters were tasked with voting yes or no on changing the township’s Open Space, Recreation and Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund to allow the funds already collected by the township to be used to improve open-space property the township had already acquired.
Under the original, narrowly written open space referendums voters approved in 1998, 2001, 2002 and 2007, the township could previously only use open space funds to acquire new properties and nothing more.
Township officials and members of council pushed for the change in recent months, noting that the vote would not change the amount of residents pay in open space taxes, just how the money is spent.
A majority of voters ultimately agreed with township officials, as according to unofficial results from the Burlington County Board of Elections, residents voted to approved to change last week with 8,559 votes “yes” to 2,425 votes “no.”
In response to the results, Mayor Dennis Riley thanked residents and said the township and its officials were “truly grateful” for residents approval for the change.
“By voting ’Yes,’ the people of Mt. Laurel have given their approval for the township to continue the process of acquiring, planning, maintaining, improving and preserving open space lands for our residents and future generations,” Riley said. “Thank you to all, so very much.”
With the change, acting township manager Meredith Tomczyk, said the township could now look at improvements to open space lands, including upgrading trails, upkeep of pavilions, maintaining historic buildings, replacing older playgrounds or building fences.
Other election results
On the local level, Mt. Laurel residents went to the polls last week to vote in a uncontested race for members of their local board of education and the regional high school district board of education.
For the three seats for three-year terms on the Mt. Laurel Schools Board of Education, unofficial results from the Burlington County Board of Elections showed incumbent Christine Dickson receive 7,327 votes, incumbent Diane Blair receive 7,155 votes and incumbent Margaret Haynes receive 7,097 votes.
There were 138 residents who made a personal choice.
In the race for one seat on the Lenape Regional High School District Board of Education, incumbent Mt. Laurel representative Paula Lee ran unopposed and won with 7,658 votes, against 76 votes for a personal choice.
