Julie Blake, Hopewell Township
I am proud to introduce myself as the Democratic candidate for the Hopewell Township Committee.
My husband and I moved here with our two young children in 1999, and we found in Hopewell Township an affordable house in an excellent school district.
Growing up in the West, I moved around a lot, never living in the same town for more than a few years. When we arrived in Hopewell, I immediately felt at home. I found friends and neighbors who had committed themselves to preserving what makes Hopewell so special — the farms, the open space, the deep history and, of course, the warm community.
As a working mother, I know what it means to raise a family in Hopewell Township. I’ve sat in church basements during dance rehearsals and cleaned up the baseball and softball snack bar before opening day.
My children and I explored the trails in Rosedale Park, rode our bikes on the towpath and attended numerous programs at Howell Living Farm.
I’ve lived here longer than I’ve lived anywhere else and am running for Township Committee to preserve what makes Hopewell Township such a wonderful place.
Working part-time until my daughter entered first grade, I returned to graduate school. I worked 20 hours a week, took classes and completed an internship while training to be a counselor. I had to manage my time to get everything done.
Since 2007, I have been a school counselor at Hunterdon Central High School where I have developed numerous programs to support students and parents and have built outreach programs to the residents of an assisted living facility.
I served as the president of the Hunterdon County School Counselor Association. Most importantly, I’ve learned how to work with families, institutions and government agencies to get things done.
I’ve spent the past seven months walking the township, knocking on nearly a thousand doors to learn what you are seeking in your next committee member. I’ve heard your objections to the PennEast pipeline and heard your concerns about our vulnerability to overdevelopment.
I’ve learned that, by far, the most pressing issue for Hopewell residents is that the township is becoming unaffordable. Young and old, our neighbors tell me how sad they are that high taxes will force them to leave.
The committee’s decision to increase spending by 9 percent this past year will make it much harder for us to keep this community affordable.
We can do better. I’ve spent a lot of time attending our committee meetings and watching them on the township website. I don’t see enough effort to work together to solve the many problems facing us.
With careful planning and respectful dialogue, we can reach bipartisan solutions for a better future.
I am a lifelong Democrat, and that will not change. At the same time, I will always place the interests of Hopewell Township first, working with all of my colleagues to fight reckless spending, ensure our affordability and preserve our open space.
Julie Blake
Hopewell Township
The writer is the Democratic candidate for the Hopewell Township Committee.
