Ms. Bluth, a Wyckoff’s Mill board member, is vying for a three-year seat
By Jen Samuel, Managing Editor
"A good council person serves as the voice of the people.” – Susan Bluth
HIGHTSTOWN — Susan Bluth, a Democrat, is one of four candidates vying for the two three-year seats on Borough Council this November.
"A good council person serves as the voice of the people and represents the majority of those voices rather than (acting) on the capricious ideas of a few,” Ms. Bluth said, who is 59.
The Queens College alumna has a bachelor’s degree in education and moved to Wyckoff’s Mill within the borough seven years ago. Ms. Bluth changed her professional focus to pursue paralegal studies from education. Today, she has worked as a certified paralegal for 25 years.
Ms. Bluth is serving her sixth year as a member of the board of directors of the condominium association, having served as secretary, president and treasurer.
"My achievements in Wyckoff’s Mill make me a strong fit to serve on the Hightstown Council,” Ms. Bluth said. “I promote accountability of the board to the homeowners — fairness in the treatment of the homeowners — enforcement of our rules.
"I keep a very close eye on our budget and am more frugal with the association’s money than I am with my own. I have strong leadership qualities, a good head on my shoulders and I carefully deliberate all pros and cons before making decisions.”
Ms. Bluth continued, “I’m realistic, not idealistic, but I fight for what I believe in. These traits are essential to successfully serving a community.”
She began attending Borough Council meetings several years ago, “when I organized and accompanied a large group of homeowners to a council meeting, where many of us spoke up in protest against our property tax revaluations. I have continued to attend most council meetings since that time.”
For Ms. Bluth, “the most important issues to me are shared services, community participation and promoting the qualities of Hightstown,” she said.
"Sharing services with our neighboring communities is the only way to provide more efficient government while at the same time (creating) savings for taxpayers. State aid to municipalities will almost certainly continue to decline, while state-mandated costs such as health care and pension obligations will continue to rise.
"The only responsible approach to deal with this reality is to find sustainable, long-term solutions for these changing economic times. All opportunities for sharing services need to be fully explored.”
Ms. Bluth is a member of the Hightstown Board of Health and a Democratic Committee member representing Hightstown’s District 1, a position to which fellow members elected her.
A mother, Ms. Bluth has two grown children.
"Volunteerism and active involvement in my community are not new to me,” Ms. Bluth said.
Before relocating to Hightstown seven years ago, she served for many years on the board of directors of a 1,200 member Little League program in Marlboro. She added that she took active roles in various parent teacher associations of her children’s schools while they grew up. She’s also been a participant of several charitable organizations.
"I’m running because I want to expand on what comes naturally to me — serving my community.”
She said she is a strong proponent of community participation.
If elected to Borough Council, Ms. Bluth said she would advocate for the council to hold periodic meetings where the residents can express their concerns and ideas by way of an open dialogue with the council members.
"It is extremely important to truly listen to what people have to say and provide a response,” she said.
Ms. Bluth believes that the qualities of Hightstown need to be promoted.
"Our small suburban borough has a great deal of character and charm and is ideally located between Philadelphia and New York,” Ms. Bluth stated. “It is imperative that we promote these features and attract people to live in Hightstown and build their small businesses here. We don’t want people to pass through Hightstown on a daily basis just to get somewhere else. We want them to stroll downtown and patronize the stores and restaurants.”
Furthermore, she said of Hightstown: “I want to be involved in shaping its future.”
Overall, Ms. Bluth is running on her achievements in Wyckoff’s Mill, and her commitment to promote accountability, fairness in the treatment of the residents, and enforcement of the rules.
Her favorite thing about Hightstown, she said, “I love the ‘smallness.’ The fact that whenever I go for a walk, which I do quite often — I love to walk — I almost always run into someone who I know.”
She also listed the following reasons as other qualities she loves about Hightstown: “the fact that no two houses look alike; the fact that it has so much history; the fact that it’s centrally located; and, most especially, the fact that it’s a safe place to live.”