Ocean county seeks to double open space tax in 2026 with ballot referendum

TOMS RIVER, N.J. – The Ocean County Board of Commissioners began the new year with a historic swearing-in and an ambitious proposal from its new director aimed at curbing overdevelopment through expanded land preservation efforts.

Part of that historic moment was the swearing in of Shmuel “Sam” Ellenbogen as the county’s newest commissioner.

Frank Sadeghi, who was named board director for 2026, announced plans Wednesday to place a referendum on the November ballot asking voters to approve a one-cent increase to the county’s open space tax. The current rate of 1.2 cents, he said, is no longer adequate to keep pace with the county’s growing population and rising land costs.

“That is why today I’m proposing … asking county voters to raise our county open space tax by one cent,” Sadeghi said at the Jan. 7 meeting. “This will allow us to more aggressively preserve open space and farmland, prevent overdevelopment, and enhance and modernize our county park system.”

The Open Space Trust Fund has been the center of power for the county officials, who use the fund more these days for pet projects such as restoring obscure ‘historical’ homes and using the fund to purchase sometimes otherwise unbuildable land from politically collected land owners.

It is estimated that the Natural Land Trust currently has $50 million in the bank and cannot spend the funds faster than they are being collected at the current rate, according to a county official who wished to remain anonymous.

The county’s Natural Lands Trust Program, funded through the existing tax, generates more than $10 million annually and has preserved about 35,000 acres since its creation in 1998.

It has also invested in controversial projects such as $4,000,000 for the “Cox House”, a historically mundane single family home in Barnegat, because of its ties to former County Commissioner Virginia Haines.

Sadeghi said expanding the program would help protect the county’s remaining undeveloped areas from rapid growth pressures.

“I think we need to step that up,” he said.

Phil Stilton Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.