To the Editor,
All elections are important. Those who are chosen to serve at every level need to be thoughtful, hard working, intelligent and courageous. That is why I am supporting Kristin McLaughlin and Courtney Peters-Manning for Hopewell Township Committee.
I have known Kristin for about 10 years. When our children were younger, we worked together as members of the parents’ association at our children’s school. Beginning all those years ago, I have always been impressed with her ability to get in and do the work that needs to be done, regardless of the spotlight. In her role as mayor, Kristin has worked to make sure that the budget was closely scrutinized, and was able to achieve a nearly 3% reduction in the discretionary portion. She has represented the township at every level of government, including traveling to Washington DC twice to meet with FERC regarding the pipeline.
This is hard work, requiring understanding the issue and the applicable laws. She has listened to disparate opinions within the community. And she has been courageous, respectfully handling the often raucous comments of those who refuse to understand that we must sometimes make difficult choices in meeting the challenges our community faces, even continuing to do so despite a threat to her safety.
While I haven’t known Courtney as long, I do know that she too will put in the many hours of work needed to govern the township. She has shown her ability to keep finances under control through her position at the Cambridge School, as well as serving on the finance council for her church. Courtney cares deeply about the environment, and uses her time to serve on the boards of FoHVOS and the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, two organizations that are devoted to improving our local environment. She has been involved in many protests against the PennEast pipeline and spoke against it in Trenton. Courtney will continue to work to improve our community.
I hope you will join with me in voting for Kristin McLaughlin and Courtney Peters-Manning for Hopewell Township Committee.
Tracy Vogler
Hopewell Township