By Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
The ballot this November will be one-sided for the Hopewell Borough Common Council race, as incumbent Democrats David Mackie and Chris Fossel will be unopposed in their bid to retain the two three-year terms.
Mr. Mackie, a 57 year-old resident, and Mr. Fossel, a Hopewell resident since 2010, are seeking their seventh and second consecutive terms on the council, respectively.
“I am running for Hopewell Borough Council so I can give back to this amazing community,” Mr. Fossel said. “I am driven to public service as a means of preserving and enhancing the very special community of Hopewell Borough.”
For Mr. Mackie, who has served on the council since 1998, his decision to seek reelection originated from an ongoing commitment to public service.
“My involvement in public affairs began in 1997, when I joined the grass-roots coalition that was working to preserve the 66-acre Ruhland tract located adjacent to Hopewell Borough Park. That experience inspired me to run for Borough Council in 1998,” he said. “I am running for re-election so that I can continue to serve our community. We have an extraordinary, dedicated team of Borough employees, elected and appointed officials and volunteers who have served our community for many years. I am motivated and inspired by their commitment and dedication.”
The long-time councilman said the main issue facing the township was the need to “expand and enhance” affordable housing options in the borough, regardless of any potential ruling on how the state determines a municipality’s affordable housing obligations.
“I believe we should actively pursue opportunities to expand, preserve, and create a diversity of housing options that meet the needs of senior citizens, young families, and others living on fixed or limited incomes, so that they can afford to live in the borough,” he said.
To that end, he said the borough has made efforts to address that situation, with the adoption of a Housing Plan Element and Fair Share Plan that “outlines our objectives and proposed approach for meeting our affordable housing goals.”
Mr. Mackie said the passage of “enabling ordinances,” which allow the creation of accessory apartments within areas zoned for single-family housing, was also seen as a step toward fixing that issue.
“We should continue this process by developing incentives for property owners to rehabilitate existing rental apartments and deed restrict them as affordable units,” he said. “Additionally, the Borough Council and Planning Board are currently examining options to encourage the redevelopment of underutilized properties within the Borough under the statutory framework provide by the State Redevelopment Law. This could provide opportunities to substantially increase our affordable housing stock as part of future residential or mixed-use redevelopment.”
Like many officials in other municipalities, however, Mr. Fossel said the borough’s fiscal health was a major focus of his campaign, though he also echoes Mr. Mackie’s concerns.
“ Hopewell Borough faces constant fiscal pressure; trying to provide the services our residents need and desire to maintain the quality of life they expect while trying to keep the tax burden as low as we possibly can,” he said. “I have served on the Finance subcommittee in my first term and have had a front row seat to those challenges. I am proud of the work we have done.”
Mr. Fossel said his time on the finance subcommittee saw the borough managing its “budgetary priorities and have maintained a stable municipal tax rate.”
“ We expect that little will change in Hopewell Borough and that is actually the goal; to maintain the community and the way of life that folks are attracted to in the first place so that they can pass it on to the next generation. But maintaining that quality of life is not easy – it takes a lot of work, careful planning and much thought and deliberation,” he said. “I am fortunate to serve with others on the governing body that share the same goal.”
Though both men are running unopposed, they explained why they feel they are the right choice for Hopewell Borough.
“My ideal of public service is a government composed of honorable people with diverse viewpoints, skills and life experiences, who are bound together by a common sense of duty and a shared community vision. I’m proud to say that has that here in Hopewell,” Mr. Mackie said. “In recent years, we have witnessed the transformation of our downtown and the emergence of an ever more vibrant business community, which lead to our designation in 2012 as one of New Jersey’s ‘Great Places’ by the American Planning Association. These accomplishments are the fruits of a sustained, coordinated effort by our Borough government and staff, our business community, and countless volunteers over many years. It has been a great privilege to be a part of that effort, and I would be honored to be able to continue to serve our community as a member of the Borough Council.”
“As a Councilman, I consider every decision I make in terms of what will best preserve the very strong sense of community and our way of life,” Mr. Fossel said. “I consider the residents as my clients. My clients make Hopewell what it is today and will be for a long time to come.”
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Nov. 8.
