Hopewell Township municipal government officials will say farewell to Township Administrator Elaine Cruickshank-Borges come the new year, when Borges’s retirement goes into effect on Jan. 1.
The Hopewell Township Committee accepted her retirement during their meeting on Dec. 7.
Borges has served in the township Finance Department and Administration for 25 years. She first was appointed chief financial officer (CFO) in 1995, then treasurer in the Finance Department in 2006, earned her appointment to assistant administrator in 2017 and was officially tapped as township administrator in 2018.
“I was born and raised in Hopewell. My father had a small business on Route 31 and he always stressed the importance of community, family and giving back. Over the years, I have worked in the community and built an extended family,” Borges said. “I have watched our community thrive in the best and worst of times. I am very proud to have been a part of our community and help shape its future while representing its past.”
When ask about why she decided to retire, Borges said, “When I accepted the position of township administrator I agreed to a three-year term. I am simply at the end of that term and eligible for retirement. I look forward to serving the community in a different capacity in the future.”
The township officials are hoping to have someone hired by her effective date of retirement. The job was posted in November, the posting closed Dec. 4, and officials are moving through the process hoping to have someone named prior to the official retirement date for Borges.
“Hopewell Township is beyond fortunate to have had Elaine for these 25 years. Elaine started her career in the private sector before coming to the public sector and I can’t imagine anyone caring as deeply about serving the public as Elaine has,” Mayor Kristin McLaughlin said. “As a finance officer she was smart, thorough, careful and always made sure everything we wanted to do was done in the most proper way it could be.”
McLaughlin said that Borges was like the North Star and she pointed the right direction to officials all the time.
“She quickly understands all of New Jersey’s municipal tax law that apply to municipalities. She gave such guidance through the challenges of the pandemic. I honestly do not know what we would have done without her,” McLaughlin said. “The township has benefited in every way from her diligence, expertise and intelligence. She is irreplaceable. We will hire a new township administrator and I am sure whoever it is will be fantastic.”
If the township is unable to hire a new administrator by Jan. 1, township personnel will have to step up.
“To be truthful our departments are super solid and they will continue to function to their incredible high level whether there is an administrator or not. We are hopeful to have someone in place,” McLaughlin said. “People will have to step up and fill roles if it does go into the new year.”