County to forgo Open Space tax this year
Local residents will see a small tax break this year, thanks to a decision by Hudson County not to assess most of the tax normally collected for Open Space grants.
Municipalities were still being notified of the tax break Monday, and several didn’t yet know how the county’s decision would affect their residents. However, Secaucus expects to see a 10 cent reduction in county taxes for every $1,000 of assessed property owned.
“Because of the tax burden, a decision was made this year not to assess the open space tax, other than to service existing debt, which is a very small…amount,” said Al Santos, Hudson County Freeholders clerk.
Each year, the county normally awards grants to municipalities for land acquisition, historic preservation, park improvement, and open space planning on a competitive basis. Tax money collected and designated for Open Space grants is used to fund these projects.
The decision not to collect the Open Space tax this year won’t affect municipal projects that are currently under consideration, and which will be the subject of a public hearing on Oct. 28, according Santos.
“Even though the tax isn’t being collected [this year], there will be funding allocations made this year to municipalities, because that money comes from last year’s tax,” Santos noted. “So what’s in the hopper now has already been weighed and considered by the county executive and the Open Space Advisory Board, and recommendations have been made. Those projects will be the subject of a public hearing on Oct. 28. And then awards will be made” on those applications.
There are 17 grants under consideration, totaling more than $6 million.
The decision not to collect the Open Space tax will, however, affect the county’s ability to fund park and historic preservation projects next year.
Health Screenings at Harmon Cove Towers and Townhouses
The Mayor and Council in conjunction with North Hudson Community Action Corp (NHCAC) are pleased to bring NHCAC’s Health Center Mobile health unit to Secaucus on Saturday, Oct. 2. The mobile health unit will be at Harmon Cove Towers from 9:30 a.m. to noon, and then at the Harmon Cove Townhouses from 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Blood pressure will be monitored, and cholesterol and diabetes testing will be completed. At press time, the parking areas for the mobile health units had not been determined. Please call your local housing committee to find out where the mobile units will be parked.
CASA looking for volunteers
Interested in helping children in foster care? If so, Hudson County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) is currently recruiting volunteers to be advocates for abused and neglected children.
Hudson County has over 750 children in foster care, most of whom have been removed from their homes for abuse or neglect. CASA works through trained community volunteers to ensure that needed services and assistance are made available to children as they transition into permanent homes. CASA volunteers speak for children in court, serve as fact finders for the judges, and safeguard the interests of the children while they are in the foster care system.
Information sessions regarding the program and the role of CASA volunteers will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 5 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 595 Newark Ave., Room 901, in Jersey City.
For additional information, call (201) 795-9855, e-mail mveenhof@hudsoncountycasa.org, or visit www.hudsoncountycasa.org.
Secaucus job fair
The Town of Secaucus will hold its first ever job fair on Friday, Oct. 8 from 9:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Secaucus Public Library and Business Resource Center. The fair will be held in the Panasonic Room. For more information, call (201) 330-2016.
Panasonic to host electronics recycling collection in Secaucus
On Saturday, Oct. 2 Panasonic will host a free consumer electronics recycling collection event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Panasonic will accept a broad range of electronics, including TVs, VCRs, stereos, video monitors, computers, printers, cell phones, and other items at its corporate campus, located at 50 Meadowlands Parkway in Secaucus.