Cherry Hill residents will decide whether to raise Camden County's open space tax by one cent when they vote on Nov. 3.

The referendum question, which appears on the back of the ballot, asks voters to increase the Open Space Trust Fund levy from two cents to three cents per $100 of assessed property value. The county estimates the increase would cost the average homeowner $1.83 per month, NBC10 reported.

If approved, the additional penny would create a dedicated local funding source for the county's $400 million Water Quality Initiative. The 10-year plan would repair sewers, reduce flooding, dredge waterways and restore recreational lakes across Camden County. The Camden County Board of Commissioners and the Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority announced the initiative on July 14.

The largest share, $200 million, goes toward combined sewer overflow reduction. Another $75 million would fund sediment remediation and dredging, $50 million each for sanitary sewer rehabilitation and recreational lake restoration, and $25 million for green infrastructure, according to Camden County's announcement on X.

The effort would span multiple watersheds, including the Cooper River, Kirkwood Lake, Evans Pond and Wallworth Lake.

Commissioner Jeffrey Nash, speaking to PhillyVoice in July, pointed to the Cooper River regattas as proof of what clean water means for the local economy. "The regattas bring an enormous economic benefit to the community," Nash said.

Nash said the full plan would take about 10 years, contingent on voter approval of the tax increase. Even at three cents, Camden County's rate would remain below the four-cent open space tax in neighboring Burlington and Gloucester counties, according to South Jersey Climate News.

The open space levy is not new. Voters first approved a one-cent levy in 2003 and raised it to two cents in 2005, according to county records. The current two-cent levy generated $13.1 million in the 2026 county budget.

The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on July 16 to place the question on the November ballot, according to meeting minutes.

Sewage spills into Camden County waterways occur an average of 76 days per year, South Jersey Climate News reported. Heavy rains in July 2026 caused severe flooding in Camden, closing roads, stranding drivers and overwhelming sewer systems that spilled sewage into rivers.

Camden County Clerk Pamela Lampitt noted at a Wednesday, Sept. 16 press conference that the referendum appears on the back of the ballot. Lampitt said voters frequently miss referendum questions because they do not flip their ballots over, according to The Retrospect.

The county mailed about 96,000 vote-by-mail ballots as of Wednesday, Sept. 16. Voter registration closes Oct. 14. Early voting runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 1 at seven sites countywide.