East End voters support expanding the Community Preservation Fund

East Hampton’s Proposal 1 was met with overwhelming support on the ballot Tuesday, securing more than 78 percent of the popular vote, East Hampton Patch reported. The initiative would allocate up to 20 percent of the Community Preservation Fund, which comes from a 2 percent real estate transfer tax, to make water quality improvements. Water quality protection is important because of nitrogen pollution and rust tides that have plagued the East End’s harbors and lakes, according to Kevin McDonald, policy advisor for The Nature Conservancy on Long Island. [Patch]