East Windsor politicians vying for township council seats shared a table to address questions from the public during Candidate Night on Oct. 17.
By Jen Samuel, Special Writer
HIGHTSTOWN — East Windsor politicians vying for township council seats shared a table to address questions from the public during Candidate Night on Oct. 17.
The League of Women Voters of East Windsor-Hightstown sponsored the forum, which took place in the media room of Hightstown High School.
This year there are three, four-year seats up on council. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Incumbent council candidates include Hector Duke, 79; Deputy Mayor Alan Rosenberg, 68; and Perry Shapiro, 74.
The Republican challengers are Thaddeus “T.J.” Berdzik, 37; Albert P. Grupper, 72; and Anna Lustenberg, 64.
Republicans have tried unsuccessfully for years to win a seat on the Democrat controlled governing body, lead by Mayor Janice Mironov. She is the president of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities.
Karen Siracusa, of the League of Women Voters of Lawrence, moderated the forum. Questions were selected from the audience, which were submitted in advance on index cards.
Mr. Duke, who has served on the council for 16 years, was unable to attend the Oct. 17 forum due to a death in his family. Mr. Duke has resided in East Windsor for more than 30 years.
Mr. Duke sent a letter to be read in his absence.
”I am proud of our record and of all of the accomplishments we have made in town since I have been on the Township Council,” his statement read.
Of those achievements, Mr. Duke said East Windsor has created and expanded: exceptional parks and recreation programs; a vital Senior Center with a multitude of great programs, which we share through shared services agreements with our neighbors; improved roadways for the safety of our residents; and preserved open space and farmland.”
In 2011 Mr. Berdzik ran for a seat on council but lost out to the Democrats.
”East Windsor’s current council has been under one party control for nearly 20 years,” Mr. Berdzik said during his opening statement. “If we look at the council’s voting record, the council votes unanimously almost 99 percent of the time. Council meetings lack discussion of new ideas and long strategic vision.”
He said, “Currently East Windsor is not a business friendly town.”
A retired Army colonel, Mr. Grupper ran in 1979 for Township Council “and lost by about 25 votes,” he said. A resident of East Windsor since 1970, Mr. Grupper said the ability to discuss issues is “critical to our democracy.” He spent 25 years working as a unit commander in Army Civil Affairs, which he described as “the thinking, not shooting warriors.”
Mr. Grupper worked as a staff officer for the European Command where he interfaced with NATO and United Nations while leading the first Army Reserve missions into Africa where he worked with the state department and West African military doing both humanitarian and democratization missions.
Ms. Lustenberg told The Herald, “I was elected in 1993 to serve a four-year term on East Windsor Township Council from 1994 to 1997.” She lost her bid for re-election. She recently retired from an executive role with Verizon as its external affairs director.
She said at the forum that she is running to reduce taxes for the people of East Windsor.
”If elected, I will propose creating a liaison to the school board,” Ms. Lustenberg stated. “This is the biggest part of our tax bill.”
A former radio and TV host in New York City, Mr. Rosenberg has served on the Township Council for a dozen years.
”And I’ll tell you now that even during those long commutes into the city, I never had a thought about moving,” Mr. Rosenberg said. “The reason is that this town has always been good to me.
”And, the reason I’m here tonight,” he said, “is that I want very much to continue returning that good.”
Mr. Rosenberg sits on the board of Rise, a nonprofit organization in Hightstown, which provides food for the hungry among its other charitable endeavors. He has lived in East Windsor for 43 years.
”What is important is that I continue to be a part of this team in tending very diligently to the care and needs of the citizens of East Windsor,” Mr. Rosenberg stated. “That means maintaining high quality municipal services, financially conservative practices and paying close attention to what we, the council, do.”
Mr. Rosenberg continued, “I’m very proud of the opportunity I now have to continue working with Mayor Mironov and this dedicated council in keeping East Windsor a great place to live.”
Mr. Duke echoed that sentiment in his prepared statement read by the moderator. “With your support I want to continue as a council member and continue our success of the past and to improve the quality of life for our residents in the future,” he said.
Mr. Shapiro, a retiree of the New York City Department of Homeless Services, has been a member of council for 24 years. During his opening statement he said, “East Windsor is a great place to live.”
”For many years I was a commuter working for the city of New York,” Mr. Shapiro stated. “Despite (that) long commute to work I have always tried to keep East Windsor great.”
He was on the subcommittee to develop the Senior Center, and today, Mr. Shapiro serves as the chair of East Windsor Green Space.
He said the municipality acts very conservative financially. He stated he considered East Windsor to have the best police and Public Works departments in New Jersey.
Mr. Shapiro added that the newly completed Disbrow Hill Park was achieved largely through grant money.
”I smile every time I hear East Windsor again be given the title of ‘Tree City,’” he said.
An equities trader in Jersey City, Mr. Berdzik said that East Windsor should undertake an internal audit.
Ms. Lustenberg said she would like to see taxes reduced in East Windsor as well as see the town develop a “user friendly” website. She said that among New Jersey municipal websites West Windsor was listed as No. 3 for being user friendly whereas East Windsor was listed at No. 279.
In terms of tax revenue Mr. Rosenberg said, “In East Windsor we do a lot with a little.”
He said the township receives 13.77 percent of the taxes pulled from residents, and with those funds achieve “a superb police force. We have excellent Public Works.”
The candidates were asked how the township could cut costs without reducing the quality of services.
Mr. Berdzik said the township should look at privatization and shared services.
”Bring in more ratables to this town,” he said.
”There are ways to save money,” Mr. Grupper said. “I’m not saying that the township is doing anything wrong,” he added. “We could do more.”
To reduce municipal costs Ms. Lustenberg said, “I would cut the salary in half of council.” She said this would equate to an annual savings of $35,000.
”That could save someone’s job,” she said.
Adding she would donate her salary to charity,” Ms. Lustenberg continued, “I firmly believe that the (council) pay should be no more than $5,000 (annually).”
In addition to Mercer County, Mr. Rosenberg said the township pursues shared service agreements with a score of neighboring towns including West Windsor, Hamilton, Cranbury and Robbinsville.
He added that the East Windsor Senior Center, which recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary, was built completely with private money and grants and operates under a shared service agreement with Hightstown.
Mr. Shapiro said new businesses are continuously being brought to town, noting that Panera Bread is en route.
Approximately 12 new businesses have opened in East Windsor since January.
At the forum the council candidates were asked to share their thoughts on consolidation.
The same question was posed to Borough Council candidates at the Hightstown forum last week. In that race there are two Republican incumbents running against two Democratic challengers.
Ms. Lustenberg said, “Hightstown is the munchkin and East Windsor is the donut.” She stated the majority of tax exemptions are in Hightstown.
”Nothing should be off the table but it should all be pursued with intelligence,” Ms. Lustenberg said.
In terms of consolidation, Mr. Rosenberg pondered, “How does this benefit the citizens of East Windsor?”
In addition to serving on the Rise board, Mr. Rosenberg volunteers on the Hightstown-East Windsor Memorial Day Parade committee.
”As Anna said, nothing is off the table, but it has to benefit East Windsor,” Mr. Rosenberg stated.
Mr. Shapiro said that a previous proposal for consolidation with Hightstown showed an increase in taxes for East Windsor citizens.
Mr. Berdzik said that consolidation of East Windsor and the borough has been discussed for 50 years and that the Township Council must do what is the best interest of East Windsor’s taxpayers.
He added that consolidation was not the only answer and there are “other ways to save beyond merging the towns” including a further pursuit of shared services.
Mr. Grupper said East Windsor should look at regionalization for saving money.
He said that Route 33 could be rerouted to bypass Hightstown.
When the candidates were asked if a pool should be added to a township park, Mr. Grupper spoke strongly in favor of that proposal.
Mr. Grupper said he would like to see a youth recreation center added to the community to provide residents with a swimming pool, skating area, tennis courts, dog park, and additional playing fields.
”Let’s put in on the ballot and ask the voters decided if they want to bond it,” he said, adding when he goes door-to-door that is what people say they would like to see.
When the topic of communications arose, candidates across the aisle had different viewpoints.
Mr. Shapiro said, “We have a fairly open government,” adding the municipality shares information on its website and by publishing a community magazine and newsletter.
”All of the council members are very accessible,” Mr. Shapiro stated. “We do everything we can.”
Mr. Berdzik said that Township Council meetings should be televised, a position he promoted two years ago. He said it is hard to hear what the members are saying during meetings as is and “in the end a good government is a transparent government.”
He also said the township website should be revamped.
Mr. Grupper said it took him countless clicks to get to the 911 awareness system information on the municipal website and added that citizens need to feel more included.
Describing herself as a “techno babe” Ms. Lustenberg said East Windsor should invest in a new microphone system for its council meetings.
”It’s like whisperer town and that is not the definition of a transparent government and definitely not (a sign of) good communications,” she stated.
Ms. Lustenberg also spoke in favor of broadcasting the council meetings. “You talk about those seniors,” she said. “That is a great way for them to see what is happening.”
Mr. Rosenberg said there would be costs involved in broadcasting the meetings and that TV doesn’t automatically mean transparency.
”We’re very accessible, people can approach us in town, and they do,” he said, adding that websites are always works in progress.
The East Windsor council candidates were asked about open space and farmland preservation.
”We have an agriculture history in our town,” Ms. Lustenberg said. “Who isn’t for open space and farmland?”
Mr. Berdzik said that the town has done a good job securing opening space and should now focus on development. “We have ample open space,” he said.
Mr. Rosenberg said the township is looking for sane development rather than rushing into anything. “We want to protect our green town,” he stated.
Throughout the forum Mr. Rosenberg and Mr. Shapiro advocated the importance of open space, which has been a keystone measure of Mayor Mironov’s administration.
Mr. Rosenberg said, “We invest in our future by protecting open space and farmland.”
The deputy mayor stated, “I would say that open space is a sacred trust of this council . . . We don’t want shopping centers one right after the other on Route 130.”
Mr. Shapiro said open space serves many functions including protecting neighborhoods and streams. He added that once land is developed it couldn’t go back to the forest.
Mr. Grupper said as the population grows resources decrease.
Mr. Duke said in a statement provided to The Herald that open space and farmland preservation balances out the commercial and residential parts of the community.
Media teacher Andrew Koontz and his TV production class at Hightstown High School filmed the East Windsor forum.
Mr. Grupper said, “I hope you all vote for me.”
That sentiment was shared among all the candidates.
A broadcast of the forum will be aired on Comcast Channel 27 and Verizon Channel 38 at 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Nov. 2, Nov. 3, and Nov. 5.

