The Town of Brookhaven will be placing on the
ballot this November a referendum for a Community
Preservation Fund (CPF) for the town. That means
that CPF will only be implemented if a majority of
voters approve the referendum. The Lake Ronkonkoma
Civic Organization supports CPF, as we supported
the $100 million Open Space Bond Act that was
approved by more than 70% of Town voters in 2004.
We urge our members to support the CPF as well.
To assist our members in understanding the details of CPF, we have provided the following summation of the program, which was composed with the help of Mary Ann Johnston, President of the Affiliated Brookhaven Civic Organization (ABCO).
To assist our members in understanding the details of CPF, we have provided the following summation of the program, which was composed with the help of Mary Ann Johnston, President of the Affiliated Brookhaven Civic Organization (ABCO).
The CPF is a two-percent tax on real estate sales
in the town. The funds from the tax will be used to
preserve farmland, open space, drinking water
recharge areas and critical wildlife habitat. This
is a one-time tax on real estate that will be paid
when purchasing vacant or developed property. This
land transfer tax is not associated with property
taxes and you will not see an impact to your
property tax bill if you vote "YES" in November.
The only people who will pay the tax are those who
purchase property. The first $250,000 of the
purchase price of a house or building ($150,000 for
unimproved land) is exempt from the real estate
transfer fee. In addition, income-qualified
first-time home-buyers are exempt from paying the
tax. The CPF is a dedicated fund, and may only be
used for preservation and stewardship purposes.
Most experts agree that in five to ten years, most of the remaining open space and farmland will be gone. If we do not save open space now, while we have the opportunity, it will be lost forever to development. The development of these natural lands will result in further congestion in the Town, strain school capacity, increase traffic and garbage, diminish water quality, elevate property taxes, and diminish Brookhaven residents' quality-of-life. Open space preservation helps keep our taxes down in the long run. When property is left undeveloped there is no demand for more public services such as water, schools, and roads, all of which are paid for through increased taxes to all residents.
A committee of local Brookhaven community leaders will review and recommend for preservation open space and farmland proposals. However, a willing seller is required; lands will not be condemned in order to be purchased with CPF funds.
The CPF is supported by a broad range of stakeholders, including The Nature Conservancy, Long Island Builders Institute, the Long Island Pine Barrens Society, Long Island Farm Bureau, local civic organizations, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and the New York League of Conservation Voters.
It is projected that the real estate transfer tax will raise at least $500 million dollars, before it ends in 2025, for the purchase of farmland, open space, and critical wildlife habitat to keep it from being developed or taken out of agricultural production. Passage of the CPF will allow the Town to leverage matching dollars from Federal, State and County sources. This increases the purchasing power of CPF and maximizes the number of acres that can be purchased. Buying land now is cheaper than buying the same land later when land prices increase. With the historical cost of land in our town going up every year by at least 10%, it makes sense to buy and protect this land now before the price goes up even further.
A similar CPF tax was adopted in the five East End towns of Long Island in 1998, and has helped to preserve thousands of acres in those areas. There has been no slow-down in the real estate or housing market as a result of the program's passage.
Passage of the Community Preservation Fund will enable us to protect and preserve our open space, drinking water, and local rivers and bays, including:
• The Pine Barrens, Long Island's most important watershed, thereby safeguarding drinking water quality for both existing and future use of residents.
• Water quality in the Carmans River, South Shore Estuary, Long Island Sound and our local harbors and bays.
• Natural habitats such as forests and fields, beaches and wetlands around the town's many rivers, streams, and ponds.
• Public access to the more than 50 miles of coastline Brookhaven Town shares with the Long Island Sound and Great South and Moriches Bays.
• Hundreds of acres of productive farmland.
The beautiful open spaces of Brookhaven are part of our heritage and critical to our economy. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to protect it, and our quality of life.
If you have any questions regarding the CPF, please contact the civic at information@lakeronkonkomacivic.org, or attend one of our upcoming meetings. In addition, we hope to have a speaker from ABCO (Affiliated Brookhaven Civic Organization, an umbrella group of Brookhaven civic organizations) at our October 11th general membership meeting to give a presentation on CPF.
Most experts agree that in five to ten years, most of the remaining open space and farmland will be gone. If we do not save open space now, while we have the opportunity, it will be lost forever to development. The development of these natural lands will result in further congestion in the Town, strain school capacity, increase traffic and garbage, diminish water quality, elevate property taxes, and diminish Brookhaven residents' quality-of-life. Open space preservation helps keep our taxes down in the long run. When property is left undeveloped there is no demand for more public services such as water, schools, and roads, all of which are paid for through increased taxes to all residents.
A committee of local Brookhaven community leaders will review and recommend for preservation open space and farmland proposals. However, a willing seller is required; lands will not be condemned in order to be purchased with CPF funds.
The CPF is supported by a broad range of stakeholders, including The Nature Conservancy, Long Island Builders Institute, the Long Island Pine Barrens Society, Long Island Farm Bureau, local civic organizations, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, and the New York League of Conservation Voters.
It is projected that the real estate transfer tax will raise at least $500 million dollars, before it ends in 2025, for the purchase of farmland, open space, and critical wildlife habitat to keep it from being developed or taken out of agricultural production. Passage of the CPF will allow the Town to leverage matching dollars from Federal, State and County sources. This increases the purchasing power of CPF and maximizes the number of acres that can be purchased. Buying land now is cheaper than buying the same land later when land prices increase. With the historical cost of land in our town going up every year by at least 10%, it makes sense to buy and protect this land now before the price goes up even further.
A similar CPF tax was adopted in the five East End towns of Long Island in 1998, and has helped to preserve thousands of acres in those areas. There has been no slow-down in the real estate or housing market as a result of the program's passage.
Passage of the Community Preservation Fund will enable us to protect and preserve our open space, drinking water, and local rivers and bays, including:
• The Pine Barrens, Long Island's most important watershed, thereby safeguarding drinking water quality for both existing and future use of residents.
• Water quality in the Carmans River, South Shore Estuary, Long Island Sound and our local harbors and bays.
• Natural habitats such as forests and fields, beaches and wetlands around the town's many rivers, streams, and ponds.
• Public access to the more than 50 miles of coastline Brookhaven Town shares with the Long Island Sound and Great South and Moriches Bays.
• Hundreds of acres of productive farmland.
The beautiful open spaces of Brookhaven are part of our heritage and critical to our economy. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to protect it, and our quality of life.
If you have any questions regarding the CPF, please contact the civic at information@lakeronkonkomacivic.org, or attend one of our upcoming meetings. In addition, we hope to have a speaker from ABCO (Affiliated Brookhaven Civic Organization, an umbrella group of Brookhaven civic organizations) at our October 11th general membership meeting to give a presentation on CPF.
