The Santa Clara County Open Space Authority Board of Directors voted unanimously July 24 to place a $120 million parcel tax measure on the November 2014 ballot.
If approved by voters, the measure would fund open space protection; help protect water resources from pollution; preserve wildlife habitat, hillsides, redwood forests and agricultural land; and improve and maintain parks, trails and trail connections among local and regional parks, according to a press release from OSA.
The measure would enable the OSA to increase its acreage of protected open space from 16,000 to 30,000 acres, and add more than 25 miles of new trails to parks and preserves in San Jose, Milpitas, Santa Clara, Campbell, Morgan Hill and unincorporated Santa Clara County, according to OSA staff.
Furthermore, 25 percent of the measure’s funding—which is expected to be about $7.9 million per year for 15 years—would be dedicated to cities, schools, nonprofits and the county as grants to support more open space, recreation and outdoor education efforts, according to the press release.
The proposed measure is a uniform parcel tax, which would cost individual property owners $24 per year, and would expire after 15 years, OSA staff said.
If approved by voters in the Nov. 4 election, the measure would also help fulfill the OSA’s “Santa Clara Valley Greenprint,” a 30-year strategic plan to preserve the most important tracts of open space land and remaining natural resources in the county.
“The Greenprint reflects the strong interest by our communities to protect local water supplies, water quality, wildlife habitat, provide more parks, open space and public access in urban areas,” said Mike Potter, chair of the OSA’s Board of Directors. “This additional funding will ensure we continue to maintain a high level of open space service for the residents of Santa Clara County.”
The Greenprint was published by the OSA in April 2014.
OSA General Manager Andrea Mackenzie added, “The health of our open spaces, habitats, creeks and streams is tied to the health of our communities. This revenue stream will ensure that our children and all future generations will continue to experience the benefits of open space and nature that we enjoy today.”
For more information including ballot measure language and an interactive map with examples of high priority potential open space projects, visit openspaceauthority.org/about/openspacefunding.html.
