To the editor:
Who is going to be the Hopewell Township mayor?
Last year the majority of our Township Committee came together and created a bipartisan leadership team. The mayor was selected from the Democrats, and the deputy mayor from the Republicans.
Unfortunately, two members of the committee did not like this sharing of power and chose to serve their party instead of their community. Their lack of community spirit was demonstrated by their abysmal attendance record at scheduled meetings throughout the term. The selected mayor was pressured to resign from his party, and ended the bipartisan configuration.
Now we have an interesting scenario. The majority party representing our community this year has three members. One lacks any experience, so should not qualify as mayor. The other has written a letter to members of our community stating that she will not serve as mayor, and the third has underrepresented us in the past with a less-than-stellar attendance record. This does not bode well for a community with so many critical issues before us. It is essential that we have leadership with experience, and the desire to serve.
I hope that this year our committee will work together and show us that now that the election is over, they are ready to serve our community, not just the members of their party. I hope this committee will select the best mayor. I hope when the reorganization vote is taken they will put all the people of Hopewell Township first. I hope that they will select a Mayor with leadership experience, whose attendance record demonstrates their conviction to their elected job.
This is not the time to select a mayor who has indicated no interest in the job. We need a mayor with the willingness to serve Democrats, Republicans and the Independent voters of Hopewell Township.
Judy Blake, Kevin Kuchinski, Vanessa Sandom, Todd Brant and John Hart — I challenge you to put aside your differences, examine your motives, access your motivation, examine the records of your fellow representatives and truly serve us by selecting the best among you to lead the way in 2016.
Debra A. Burd
Titusville
