Barbara Pfeifer and Will Anklowitz, in the final week of their campaigns for a seat on the West Windsor Township Council, both say they have taken the pulse of the township, and that their ideas for the future of the township reflect what the voters want. On Tuesday, November 7, voters will tell them which is right.
Pfeifer, who was appointed to fill a vacant council seat this summer, says if she is defeated by a large margin, she will not run again in May. This election is the first time the public will vote on who should fill the position left open by Kristin Appelget’s resignation. Appelget’s term would have ended in May, and as a result the public will vote twice for the same council seat in the next six months.
Pfeifer said she will vote straight down column “A” on Tuesday, supporting all her fellow Democrats. West Windsor’s elections are non-partisan, but her opponent recently switched to the Republican Party. Anklowitz did not comment on whether he will run again if defeated, and did not share who else he plans on voting for. Said Anklowitz: “I am focusing on our current municipal election.”
Both candidates support voting for the referendum, which will lower the open space tax burden on residents. Anklowitz, a member of Friends of West Windsor Open Space, has stated he would prefer if the maintenance allotment for the open space fund were not raised from 10 percent to 25 percent. The township has not given voters a choice, bundling two open space questions into one vote.
If voters support lowering the tax, they also vote to raise the maintenance amount. Anklowitz supports reserving more of the open space fund for purchase of new parcels to prevent them from being developed. He says he opposes the maintenance increase because it will require people who do not use recreational facilities to pay for those that do, and because it will leave less money for buying more open space.
Pfeifer says in addition to taxes, residents have expressed concern about the township’s future with regards to re-development. “Most I spoke with expressed their desire to move forward with a smart plan. One that brings revenue and also quality jobs to their town,” said Pfeifer. “Residents want to realize a value for the approximately 30 acres of land in the redevelopment zone that now serves as flat parking spaces. An increase in land values surrounding the train station is seen as a big plus and why redevelopment makes sense.”
Anklowitz does not support building more housing as part of the re-development, but is in favor of bringing in retail and ratables. “Our future depends on the quality of our schools and properly utilizing our train station,” says Anklowitz. “I care about the needs of our communities’ senior citizens and working families. I will work hard to ensure that we get the most from our tax dollars.”
While they agree on many issues, the differences between the two candidates was never more apparent than in the third and final debate. Both Pfeifer and Anklowitz had gotten through two debates and the better part of a third in with polite restraint.
In the final statement made at the third debate, held Monday, October 23, Pfeifer took the offensive, saying, “Who among us wants to live in ‘Will’s World’? I don’t. I would not want to raise my son in Will’s world, a world where trying to ruin another’s reputation in the community where they are raising their family is seen as worthwhile campaign strategy.”
Anklowitz declined to comment on Pfeifer’s statements, and said, “I believe knocking on doors and listening to voters is the best way to campaign. Property taxes, open space and having an open public dialogue are the issues many voters have told me that they are interested in addressing. I am proud of West Windsor’s heritage and my family’s five-generation heritage here too. West Windsor has been good to me and I would like to have the opportunity to return something to West Windsor.”
Earlier in the debate, Anklowitz said his three interests are “exploring shared services with other townships to save money, open government, and the prevention of overdevelopment in the train station redevelopment.”
Pfeifer’s opening statement proclaimed her support of “safer roads, pedestrian links, traffic calming, town center amenities, more parking, a balanced tax burden, more open space for our enjoyment, greater town wide mobility. An identity that we can be proud of, an identity that is West Windsor.”
West Windsor Retiree’s Group chairman Ron Slinn, who moderated the debate, asked the candidates their views on whether the township should change its name to Princeton Junction.
This issue has been an ongoing argument in the town since the municipality was officially named West Windsor. Barbara Pfeifer appeared to be joking, but answered, “Maybe we should come up with a new name for the entire town. We should see what the redevelopment looks like after it’s done. Then we can poll everyone to see what name they think fits, and name it that.”
Anklowitz said there was no way to win in answering a question such as that, and said, “When I was growing up here, we were Junction kids, going to West Windsor schools, with a Lawrence mailing address. It is the way it is. It’s going to stay that way.”
Slinn also asked if either candidate would support adding a local sales tax to everything sold in the township. Both candidates said they opposed any new taxes.
Pfeifer said she supports creating a position of information officer for the township. “The township does not do a very good job of getting information to the public,” said Pfeifer.
Anklowitz said he supports the township exploring shared services with other townships, an effort which has been supported by the state in the form of grants to townships which do so.
The issue on which the candidates have disagreed throughout the campaign is the addition of housing in the upcoming redevelopment. Pfeifer says it will help lower taxes and it will provide a way for empty-nesters to stay in the township when they no longer need the large homes in which they raised their families.
Anklowitz doesn’t think more housing will lower taxes. “I haven’t spoken to anyone who says the township needs more housing.”
