“Last night, the Teaneck Council pushed through a resolution in support of Gordon Johnson’s request to the Department of Environmental Protection that Teaneck be permitted to divert funds from the Green Acres Program for alternate uses.  I abstained on this ill-conceived policy proposal because there are too many questions and too many concerns. The Green Acres Program was established to provide municipalities with funding for the acquisition of land that will be transformed into a park, the development of park facilities, or the rehabilitation of historic properties.  While the impetus behind this rushed request is unclear, what is clear is that this is bad policy that hasn’t explored all the possible options that could be in the best interests of the taxpayers.
As community leaders we should be promoting conservation, not finding loopholes around it. As Councilwoman, I am dedicated to serving the interests of my community, not making back-door deals that don’t serve the public good and threaten our environment.”