Demand your open space tax refund

When the Wantage taxpayers receive their 2017 final tax bills this month they should say thank you for the long overdue reductions in their school taxes, an average of about $79.93 from Sussex-Wantage and about $88.49 from High Point. The downside will be the Sussex County Freeholder's large tax increase.
Also save a great big thank you for former mayor, now committeeman, Ron Bassani; who, as both mayor and the head of the open space committee, failed to extend the open Space Ordinance before it expired on Dec. 31, 2016. Thank you, Ron! How's that for due diligence?
Not only can't Wantage collect any open space taxes in 2017, Wantage has to refund to us taxpayers the approximate $30,000 in open space taxes that they already took from us in February and May 2017. (Average refund $6.53)
Please contact the Township Committee members and demand that your share of the $707,611.08 (Average share $154.05) that was in the Open Space Trust Fund, when by Ordinance #2006-20 the Trust Fund ceased to exist on Dec. 31, 2016, be refunded to you. And that you do not want Bassani wasting your money by purchasing distressed properties apparently for his own personal and/or political benefit.
Over 30 percent of Wantage is already preserved, and that doesn't include the thousands of acres of farmland-assessed property. In November, please vote against Ron's self-serving referendum to waste more of our tax dollars for the next 10 years.
William H. Gettler
Wantage Township