MOUNT HOLLY — Citing projected decreases in state aid, the county Board of Freeholders has decided to again levy the full amount allowable for its dedicated land preservation tax.

The revenue generated by the dedicated tax is expected to increase $1.7 million, or 9 percent, to $20.4 million this year.

Freeholder William Haines Jr. said freeholders considered the state of the economy and burden on taxpayers when making this decision, but they felt land preservation is still an important priority to county residents. For that reason, he said, he said he felt comfortable levying the full tax, which is 4 cents per $100 of market value.

“We looked at the goals that we have, which are to continue to preserve farmland, to continue to preserve open space and to develop the parks and we felt we needed those dollars,” he said.

Mary Pat Robbie, the director of the county Department of Resource Conservation, said she is concerned the county will not receive state funds for land preservation this year due to budgetary constraints.

“We don't think we're going to have additional cost share savings from the state,” she said. “From day one we have said the priority is acquisition, so we have to get the land while it's available and we want to make sure we have the funds to do that.”

Robbie said the county has preserved 22,199 acres of farmland and about 3,500 acres of open space.

Haines, who conceived the original proposal for the dedicated tax, said land preservation would continue to be a priority for the county.

“It has been as successful as I had hoped,” he said. “We want to do more.”

The dedicated tax is used to preserve farmland and open space in the county and also funds parks development and historic site protection.

The Board of Freeholders introduced the $20.4 million 2008 spending plan for the program last month and will hold a public hearing Wednesday.

Voters first authorized a dedicated land preservation tax of 2 cents per $100 of market value in 1996. Two years later, voters authorized another 2 cents. In 2006 voters supported extending the 4-cent tax through 2036.

While the freeholders do not have to levy the full 4 cents, they have done so annually ever since voters approved it.

Although the tax has remained flat at 4 cents over the past 10 years, the amount of revenue generated by the fund has grown dramatically. That is because the value of real estate has increased over the years and there is more property to tax now than 10 years ago.

Medford resident Bill Love, a certified public accountant and frequent critic of county government spending, said voters probably never realized the full impact of that 4-cent tax rate when they first approved it 10 years ago.

“If values rise, the tax automatically increases without raising the rate,' he said at a recent freeholder meeting.

For example, in 1999, the first year the tax was increased to 4 cents, it brought in $8.96 million in revenue. At that same 4-cent rate, the tax generated $18.76 million in 2007.

Haines said voters have overwhelmingly supported land preservation and the program also has helped keep taxes down.

“We know that by preserving farmland and open space that ultimately we're saving taxes because it's part of planning for growth in a way that we control sprawl,” he said. “We think the facts are on our side.”

The 2008 budget calls for 1 cent, about $5.1 million, of the 4-cent tax rate to be used for park development and another cent to be used for historic site preservation. The remaining 2 cents of the rate would be placed in a discretionary fund that could be used for any eligible projects.

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