Voters also said no in a big way to proposed change in government form recommended by the Hopewell Township Charter Study Commission
By John Tredrea
Two Democrats were elected to the Hopewell Township Committee Tuesday.
The Democrats’ victory means that in January 2006, the balance of power once again will go back to the Democrats, who will have a 3-2 majority. During 2005, with three Republicans on the committee, the GOP has held the reins. Remaining Republicans are Mark Iorio and Judy Abbott Niederer.
In addition to electing members of the Township Committee, voters said no in a big way to the proposed change in government form recommended by the Hopewell Township Charter Study Commission that began its work in January, after having been elected in November 2004, when voters also said yes to the creation of the commission.
Of the four Township Committee candidates, only one, Republican Robert Cacciabaudo in a statement made to the Hopewell Valley News prior to the election said he favored the government-form change. Republican Arlene Kemp, who was defeated Tuesday, and Democrats Vanessa Sandom and John Murphy all gave reasons why they were against the change.
Tuesday’s winners are Ms. Sandom, who was re-elected to her seat, and Mr. Murphy, who landed his first three-year term. They beat Republicans Ms. Kemp, the incumbent mayor and member of the committee, and Mr. Cacciabaudo, who was seeking his first term.
Ms. Kemp, reacting to Tuesday’s election, congratulated the winners. She said: "I wish Vanessa and John well in their victory."
Ms. Sandom, a former mayor, led the field with 3,282 votes. About their victory, Ms. Sandom said Wednesday: "I feel honored and blessed to have received so much support from the citizens of Hopewell Township. Now it’s time to continue the good work we’ve already started on the Township Committee.
"Moderate and conservative, Democrat, Republican or independent, we all live in the same small Valley. We all share the same hopes and dreams for our families. At heart, we are all concerned about the same key issues. So much more unites us than divides. So much more compels us to work together than apart."
Mr. Murphy, a member of the township Planning Board, was not far behind, with 3,155. Reacting to his victory, Mr. Murphy said: "I’m very happy. I think Vanessa and I ran a good campaign. We worked hard on it. I also feel somewhat humbled. Our job as we go forward is to validate the trust the voters have put in us."
Ms. Kemp, who served one three-year term, had 2,813 votes. Mr. Cacciabaudo had 2,557.
A CONTROVERSIAL, much-debated ballot question on changing the township’s form of government was soundly defeated, 3,551 to 2,138. If it had passed, the township would have changed from its township committee form to the mayor-council-administrator form, in which the public elects the mayor to a four-year term and six council members to three-year terms. In the current form, the committee picks a mayor each year. All five committee members are elected for three-year terms.
Had the question passed, the change would have taken place in January 2007, after the November 2006 general election.
About the charter question defeat, the commission chairman, Jim McGuire, said Wednesday: "The voters have made a decision and we respect that decision."
Jon Edwards, commission member and former member of the Township Committee, said Wednesday: "I’d like to thank my fellow commissioners, especially our Chairman Jim McGuire for having led a careful, comprehensive, and thoughtful evaluation of the alternatives available to Hopewell Township. I’d like to thank the voters for having given us the opportunity to serve.
"I respect, but regret the decision by the voters. It is unfortunate that a small group bankrolled a last-minute disinformation campaign in order to preserve their local influence. But rather than that, I will long remember the fact that Democrats and Republicans (including 10 former mayors) came together in full accord, itself a notable accomplishment in Hopewell Township."
Ms. Sandom said Wednesday: "The defeat of the charter change in no way means that we are content with the status quo. It simply signifies that better solutions must be sought. It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to it as a team, as a community, as an ever-growing group of thoughtful, committed citizens."
Mr. Murphy, who opposed the change to another form of government, said he was pleased by the outcome. On Wednesday, he said: "We must continue to try our best to provide a government that is accountable to the residents of Hopewell Township."
Township Committeeman David Sandahl (Democrat), who opposed the change to a new form of government, said Wednesday: "The results show that the voters were really not ready to endorse the sweeping changes proposed by the Charter Study Commission. We learned some things from their recommendations, and I think we should examine ways we could do things like strengthen the position of administrator and provide for direct election of the mayor. But it is clear that the mayor-council-administrator approach was the wrong answer for Hopewell Township."
On the triumph of his fellow Democrats Ms. Sandom and Mr. Murphy, Mr. Sandahl said they won because they worked as a team.
"The people of Hopewell Township will benefit from the combined energy and skills that Vanessa, John and I will focus on critical issues. We look forward to providing the kind of leadership that our residents have wanted for a long time."
IN PENNINGTON, three Democrats running unopposed were re-elected to Borough Council. Weed Tucker received 758 votes. Jim Lytle had 724. They both were re-elected to three-year terms. Joe Lawver, appointed to the council early this year when Nancy Ross resigned, received 735 votes and will complete the last year of her unexpired term.
Running unopposed for two seats on the Hopewell Borough Council were incumbent Republicans Schuyler Morehouse and Robert Lewis. They landed council seats with 437 and 418 votes respectively.
OTHER TOWNSHIP VOTING: Governor-elect Jon Corzine received 2,915 township votes. Doug Forrester had 3,138. Victorious Democratic state Assembly candidates Bonnie Watson Coleman and Reed Gusciora had 2,937 and 2,882 township votes respectively. Their Republican opponents Robert McCready and Tom Mavis polled 2,899 and 2,845 respectively. Kevin Larkin, a Democrat who was re-elected county sheriff, had 2,759 township votes. His Republican opponent Paul Lagana had 3,076 from the township. In the county clerk’s race, victorious Democratic challenger Paula Sollami Covello had 2,590 votes in the township. Defeated Republican incumbent Cathy DiCostanzo had 2,937 township votes. In the county freeholder race, victorious Democratic incumbents Tony Mack and Lucy Walter had 2,819 and 2,896 township votes respectively. Their Republican opponents Joseph D’Angelo and Sylvester Bryant had 2,937 and 2,759 votes respectively.
OTHER PENNINGTON VOTING: In the governor’s race, Mr. Corzine and Mr. Forrester had 603 and 448 Pennington votes respectively. In the state Assembly race, Ms. Coleman and Mr. Gusciora had 596 and 570 votes respectively. Their opponents, Messrs. McReady and Mavis, had 395 and 380. In the sheriff’s race, Messrs. Larkin and Lagana had 526 and 452 Pennington votes respectively. In the county clerk’s contest, Ms. Covello and Ms. DiCostanzo had 509 and 500. In the freeholder contest, Mr. Mack and Ms. Walter had 584 and 568 respectively. Messrs. D’Angelo and Bryant had 416 and 378.
OTHER HOPEWELL BOROUGH VOTING: Messrs. Corzine and Forrester had 516 and 260 votes respectively. In the state Assembly race, Ms. Coleman and Mr. Gusciora had 499 and 433. Their opponents, Messrs. McReady and Mavis, had 234 and 223. Messrs. Larkin and Lagana had 459 and 263 Hopewell Borough votes respectively in the county sheriff race. For county clerk, Ms. Covello and Ms. DiCostanzo had 413 and 326 respectively. For freeholder, Mr. Mack and Ms. Walter had 471 and 472. Their defeated Republican counterparts, Messrs. D’Angelo and Bryant, had 247 and 236.

