Inganamort blasts Democrats’ open space raid, faults environmental groups for silence

Assemblyman Michael Inganamort (R-Chester) accused New Jersey’s environmental movement of looking the other way Sunday after Democratic lawmakers advanced legislation allowing Jersey City to raid its voter-approved open space trust fund to plug a budget deficit.

During an Assembly Budget Committee hearing, Inganamort blasted the proposal as “a direct attack on the environment” and expressed disbelief that no environmental organizations testified or even registered opposition as the bill moved through committee.

Assembly Bill A5348 lets some municipalities divert open space trust funds to general operating expenses for one year.

“So this bill raids the open space trust fund of Jersey City to plug a massive budget hole,” Inganamort said. “It wipes out funding for open space preservation and floodplain protection.”

He then questioned the absence of the state’s environmental advocacy groups.

“And there are no slips? Not one environmental group had anything to say?” Inganamort asked, referring to witness slips filed by members of the public seeking to testify.

“If the Climate Revolution is on hold, then allow me to say that wiping out a town’s funding for open space preservation and floodplain protection and putting all that money into the general fund because they’re broke is the height of irresponsibility and a direct attack on the environment,” he said.

Inganamort argued that redirecting dedicated trust fund revenues away from preservation efforts undermines the purpose voters approved when establishing municipal open space funds.

“Strikes me as exactly the type of thing you’d have a Climate Revolution about,” he said. “But apparently not.”

The only sponsor of the bill who serves on the budget committee, Assemblyman Gabe Rodriguez (D-West New York), was a no-show at today’s hearing.  The panel approved the measure along party lines.