VOTE411 Voter Guide

Public Question:Shall the County of Morris amend the Morris County Open Space, Farmland, Floodplain Protection, and Historic Preservation Trust Fund to include the purpose of stewardship of permanently preserved land acquired for recreation and conservation purposes that are designed to restore or enhance its utilization for those purposes and allow the use of previously collected funds for those purposes?Interpretive Statement:A “YES” vote will permit the County of Morris to include natural resource management, habitat restoration and wildlife stewardship as eligible activities on permanently preserved land acquired for recreation and conservation purposes. These include projects that are designed to enhance or restore the land’s utilization for those purposes as eligible activities funded as part of the Morris County Open Space, Farmland, Floodplain Protection, and Historic Preservation Trust Fund. A “YES” vote will not increase the tax.A resolution to authorize printing the public question was adopted in June 2025, with the final ballot language submitted to the Morris County Clerk last month in accordance with state law. The county will provide additional outreach and education about the ballot question on its website and social media platforms.LINK TO THE PRESERVATION TRUST FUND COMMITTEE REPORTThe proposed program would initially be limited to municipal applicants and properties, with the potential to expand and include nonprofit-owned lands in the future. The committee reviewed various categories of stewardship activities to be considered under the program, including natural resources management and planning, meadow and forest restoration, invasive species (plant) removal, wildlife and habitat restoration, pollinator gardens and butterfly habitats and Green infrastructure (e.g., bioswales, rain gardens).Ineligible activities under the proposed program include routine maintenance, legal fees, land acquisition, recreational infrastructure such as playgrounds or sports fields, and any work on unpreserved land.The proposed stewardship initiative is modeled after prior Trust Fund expansions, such as the 2014 voter-approved ballot question that successfully enabled funding for trail development. As with the Trail Construction Grant Program, the stewardship program would operate on a matching grant basis, with municipalities contributing a portion of project costs. The committee also suggested the possibility of tiered matching requirements, similar to those used in the county’s Historic Preservation and Flood Mitigation programs.A full copy of the Preservation Trust Fund Review Committee’s report and information about the Morris County Preservation Trust Fund is available on the county website.