On November 2, 1999 the residents of Scotch Plains voted in favor of "establishing a Municipal Open Space Recreation Trust Fund to be used exclusively for the purposes of acquiring, developing, maintaining and administering land for preservation as open space in order to protect drinking water sources and provide recreation or assist in the acquisition of the same or in the administration of programs serving the same purposes within the Township of Scotch Plains to be funded at the rate not to exceed $.02 per $100.00 of total municipal real property."