Hopewell Township citizens question charter study group

Residents at public forum Oct. 27 wanted to know how much a change to mayor-council-administrator form of government would cost taxpayers.

By Aleen Crispino
   Hopewell Township residents told the Charter Study Commission at a public forum Oct. 27 that they wanted to know how much a switch to the mayor-council-administrator form of government would cost taxpayers.
   About two dozen residents turned out for the fourth and last public forum held by the Charter Study Commission and asked probing questions, the answers to which they said might help them decide whether to vote yes or no on Nov. 8.
   The question on the ballot will ask voters if they want to change to the mayor-council-administrator form. If they say yes Nov. 8, that new form would in January 2007 replace the township committee form of government, which Hopewell Township has had for over 200 years.
   Several residents expressed concern about the cost of the transition to a new form of government.
   "In the report it says for less than 20 grand we can reorganize our current government, draft an administrative code, add in a salary for a new committee member and mayor, and all that for less than 20 thousand – now I can’t buy a new car for less than 20 thousand dollars," said Ken Zeldis of Hopewell Township.
   The commission recommends that the mayor’s compensation remain at a part-time level, said Jim McGuire, Charter Study Commission chairman, and be commensurate with what Township Committee members presently receive, which is an annual salary of $4,000. The commission also recommends that the council members’ salaries be kept at the same level as committee members, Mr. McGuire said, which with six council members replacing five committee members would result in a net increase of another $4,000 added to the mayor’s salary for a total of $8,000.
   There is a one-time legal cost estimated at between $5,000 and $10,000 to draft the administrative code, said Mr. McGuire. Hopewell Township does not currently have an administrative code, he said, and "it’s a cost we should have incurred but haven’t."
   As mandated by state law — the Optional Municipal Charter Law of 1950, more commonly called the Faulkner Act — the mayor-council-administrator form limits the number of township departments to six. Hopewell Township currently has 14 departments.
   One concern heard from residents relates to the potential expense of consolidating township departments.
   Department heads will have "two to two-and-a-quarter times more responsibilities and people reporting to them," said township resident Jim Moore, and will want to earn more. "Won’t it be hard to find a qualified mayor to work full-time for part-time pay?" he asked.
   "There are likely to be significant savings" in going from 14 departments to six, said commission member Jon Edwards.
   "It is illogical to have 14 departments" in a township of the size of Hopewell, said commission member Bill Cane. As for the mayor, "with 17,000 township residents," he is "not looking at this as a full-time mayor."
   Mr. Cane and Mr. Edwards have both served terms on the Township Committee and have served as mayor. They, along with eight other former mayors of Hopewell Township, urged voters in a letter to the HVN to vote yes for the mayor-council-administrator form of government.
   A mayor serving for four years would be better able to negotiate cost-saving interlocal agreements with other municipalities and to work with regional authorities on issues such as open space preservation, said Mr. Cane.
   Under the present form of township government, voters elect committee members to three-year terms, and the committee votes annually to select a mayor from among its members. Under the proposed mayor-council-administrator form of government, voters would elect the mayor to a four-year term and the six council members to three-year terms.
   The five-member Hopewell Township Charter Study Commission was approved by voters in November 2004 to study the township committee form of government and consider whether other forms would be more efficient or responsive to citizens. It held public meetings from November through July to discuss four possible optional forms of government in addition to maintaining the status quo, and published its final report on Aug. 1, recommending the change.
   Those who were unable to attend the Oct. 27 session can view it on cable Channel 95 daily at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. and on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.