Preservation Outweighs Economic Blues in New Jersey
by National Trust for Historic Preservation on November 4th, 2009
Lambertville City Hall, NJ
New Jersey, like many others states these days, is facing a severe budget crisis. In the interest of cost cutting and finding ways to save dollars, New Jersey could have dismantled its preservation and open space programs, citing the need to channel its limited funds elsewhere. Or New Jersey could have said preservation was not fiscally sound in a tough economic climate. Other states are certainly doing this so why not New Jersey too? The difference is the decision was left to voters of New Jersey, instead of the legislature. Yesterday on Election Day voters approved a $400 million ballot measure that allows three existing programs to continue, including a nationally-recognized grant program for historic preservation. This, in a state with one of the highest property tax rates in the country and an equally high cost of living. Voters rejected arguments that the state could no longer afford to support open space preservation and grants to preserve historic sites.
Preservation is all too often seen as a luxury when the economy is down. States all over are slashing budgets and eliminating important preservation programs in the interest of saving dollars. What happened in New Jersey yesterday demonstrates how important preservation is in tough and good times. People care about their heritage and places that matter, regardless of how bad things are with the economy. And increasingly preservation is rightfully being recognized for its role in creating jobs and leveraging dollar-for-dollar resources as a true economic stimulus. In a state that has a bit of an inferiority complex – thanks in part to the Sopranos and, most recently, the Real Housewives of New Jersey – today New Jersians can hold their head up high — very high.
Approval of Public Question #1 continues the New Jersey Historic Trust, the Farmland Preservation Program and Green Acres as a stop-gap measure for another two years — funding historic preservation projects and the acquisition and preservation of farmland and open space. $12 million of the $400 million goes directly to support historic preservation projects statewide. In 20 years, the New Jersey Historic Trust has awarded more than $123 million in matching grants for preservation planning and “bricks and mortar” projects to 532 historic sites throughout New Jersey.
Have a pressing policy issue is your state? As we did in New Jersey and others, the National Trust for Historic Preservation can help by issuing an alert to our members and encouraging them to take quick action.
To find out more about New Jersey’s ballot measure, go to www.state.nj.us/gspt/question1.html
Support the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Donate now.
