Community Support

Did you know Hopewell Township Democrats…​​

• Introduced new community engagement tools, including Have Your Say Hopewell and an Instagram page

• Moved to the design phase for the new Senior and Community Center (after 20 years of talk)

• Successfully renovated the existing Senior Center while we work towards building a new Senior Center

• Ensured meals were delivered to seniors while the Senior Center was closed

• Negotiated with Capital Health to fund 50% of our Senior Services coordinator and to support our public health nurse

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Environment

Did you know Hopewell Township Democrats…

• Have fought the Penn East pipeline all the way to the Supreme Court, successfully delaying the project for seven years

• Personally lobbied FERC leadership against the Penn East pipeline

• Installed electric vehicle charging stations at the Township Building

• Achieved Tree City USA status

• Received a Sustainable Jersey grant for recycling styrofoam

• Won the New Jersey Solar Challenge by installing more solar panels per capita than any community in New Jersey

• Hopewell Township's lighting ordinance was updated with state-of-the-art approaches minimizing the growing problem of light pollution, while maximizing energy efficiency and safety through best practices in design and technology.

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Events

Did you know Hopewell Township Democrats…

• Recognized one of Hopewell Township’s long-standing families (the Woolseys) for their long-term connections to the Township

• Adopted a resolution and lit the Township Building in purple to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote

• Formed a citizen committee to plan celebrations for the 325th anniversary of the founding of the Township

• Sponsored an event that brought Hopewell Township’s founding documents to the Township Building for a public ceremony in honor of the 320th anniversary of the Township

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Finance

Did you know Hopewell Township Democrats…

• Adopted a budget this year with an increase of less than 2%

• Lowered the overall amount of Township debt

• Have successfully managed the Township budget, holding to a five year average increase of 2.29%

• Kept 2020 spending below the 2015 budget levels

• Have significantly increased the amount of grant funding to reduce the burden of residential property taxes

• Changed the budget process so capital projects could be funded earlier in the year at better rates—allowing us to do more with less

• Worked with the Hopewell Valley School District to change the timing of payments, thereby freeing up $2 million in funds

• Successfully negotiated a PILOT agreement for the Zaitz tract, which will bring in $112 million
  over time (compared to $18 million without a PILOT), reducing the burden on taxpayers

• Renegotiated the Hopewell Gardens PILOT to increase revenue for the Township.

• Successfully found a new anchor tenant to the BMS campus, bringing a world-class pharma company to the Township

• Lobbied at the state level for municipally directed funds in response to the pandemic

• Settled a long-standing dispute with Capital Health resulting in a six figure settlement

• Worked with the successors of Merrill Lynch to bring in new tenants and reduce the potential property tax burden for residents

• Built a new communications tower that is being rented to cell phone companies, bringing in revenue

• Sold a liquor license, bringing in revenue to the Township

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Health & Welfare

Did you know Hopewell Township Democrats…

• Support WomenSpace every year with a resolution and event  

• Advertised and hired a new Public Health Department Officer shortly after the position became vacant 

• Hired contact tracers to respond to the pandemic

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Housing

Did you know Hopewell Township Democrats…

• Saved millions of dollars in litigation costs by successfully negotiating an agreement with Fair Share for affordable housing

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Social Justice

Did you know Hopewell Township Democrats…

• For the first time in Township history, recognized LGBTQ rights by raising a Pride Flag to fly at the Township building

• Recognized by resolution the deep history of and contribution of African American residents during Black History month

• Formed a citizen committee to address systemic racism

• Created a position for a civilian director of the Police Department

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Open Space, Parks, & Recreation

Did you know Hopewell Township Democrats…

• Successfully preserved the Mount Rose preserve and stopped hundreds of homes from being built

• Worked with the County to preserve and protect the Hopewell Valley Golf Course

• Created a Township-wide network of safe bike lanes (in conjunction with the County)

• Hired a new Recreation Director who implemented drive-in movies for the summer

• Built the new Safe Routes to School at Timberlane and the high school

• Preserved Woosamonsa Ridge and the Regan property

• Ensured that Hopewell Township leads the County in open space and preserved farmland

• Obtained a $1 million grant from the federal government to complete the Lawrence Hopewell Trail

• Supported the opening of many new segments of the Lawrence Hopewell Trail

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Public works

Did you know Hopewell Township Democrats…

• Brought back bulk waste collection

• Reduced the annual cost of winter road maintenance by adopting a “salt fund”

• Introduced tandem trucks to improve Public Works efficiency

• Introduced fuel-saving hybrid vehicles for the Police Department

• Supported the accreditation process for the Hopewell Township Police Department

• Ensured Public Works continued brush and leaf pickup during the pandemic

• Oversaw the rebuilding of the Public Works fleet after the disastrous 2015 fire

• Worked with Mercer County to improve recycling in the Township

• Introduced higher seasonal staffing for Public Works and Recreation to meet residents’ needs during the spring and summer

• Insisted Trenton Water Works address Hopewell Township resident needs

• Improved emergency communications capabilities for the Police Department

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Utilities

Did you know Hopewell Township Democrats…

• Adopted an energy aggregation plan to lower residential electric bills

• Worked with PSE&G on a long-term program to improve grid reliability in Hopewell Township

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COVID-19

Did you know Hopewell Township Democrats…​

• Filled a sudden vacancy in the health department with a seasoned professional who oversaw our health needs during the height of the pandemic 

• Simplified the process for restaurants to get permits for outdoor dining during COVID-19

• Kept government fully functioning without interruption during the pandemic

• Worked with our senior director to develop at-home activities for seniors during the pandemic

• Unlike neighboring communities, made COVID-19 infection numbers public at the very beginning of the pandemic and continuing daily throughout the height of the pandemic 

• Kept the local trails open during the COVID-19 quarantine