West Windsor voters will soon choose a mayor. That choice will define the township for years to come.
Two of us have a long record of community service. Because Hsueh and I were both elected in 2001 — as mayor and school board member respectively — our records can be compared objectively. Judge me not simply based on the promises I make, but on my record over the past 12 years, and compare my promises with my actions during this time.
I believe I’m the best candidate for mayor of West Windsor. I know I can make a positive difference in our town. As school board president I have worked successfully with local, county, and state officials. I have demonstrated and honed skills that are necessary to face the challenges that lie ahead.
If elected, my administration will be different. I will:
— Run an open, transparent government. I will consider all input from interested residents before making a decision. You will know exactly why I made every decision.
— Not hide from the discussion of difficult topics. As school board president I have never run away from tough issues. As your mayor I will work with you to address your concerns and build a consensus around the best solution. I will always do what is right, not simply the minimum that’s legally required.
— Attend council meetings and listen to residents first-hand. While on the school board I missed only two meetings in 12 years. An important job of the mayor is to earn council’s approval of his recommendations. I will work with council before decisions are made, making council meetings less contentious.
— Provide excellent services while minimizing the tax burden. Excellence and lower taxes are not mutually exclusive. Under my direction, our school district was the first K-12 districts in New Jersey to earn an S&P AAA bond rating. We’ve been awarded the certificate of excellence in financial reporting by ASBO for the last five years. We have one of the lowest costs per pupil in New Jersey. I will ensure West Windsor’s excellence and make it affordable for people of all ages.
— Solicit outside funding for projects as I have done for the school district. In the last round of regional operating district grants WW-P received the highest number of grants in New Jersey, saving taxpayers 40 cents on each dollar of spending. During the past 12 years we have received several millions of dollars in state grants.
– Handle the development of the Howard Hughes property with the best interests of residents in mind. The biggest challenge the next mayor will face is development of this 658-acre property along Clarksville and Quakerbridge roads. While I respect the rights of the developer, I will insist on developing the property in a manner that benefits the current residents of West Windsor. During the past 12 years the percentage of commercial (or desirable) ratables has decreased from 35 percent to 30 percent. Thus homeowners have shouldered a greater proportion of the tax burden during a period when taxes have increased 130 percent. Development of the Hughes property will give us an opportunity to shift some of the tax burden back to businesses by attracting “good” commercial ratables. Increasing residential growth would negatively impact our schools and traffic. I will make sure this development does not turn into Transit Village II.
It will be an honor to be elected as the next mayor of West Windsor. I promise to serve with the same integrity and accountability that I have shown as school board president.
Hemant Marathe
One way to know a person’s character is to see how he treats his friends. After following the West Windsor mayoral campaign between Hemant Marathe and Shing-Fu Hsueh, the choice is clear.
Marathe has been endorsed by everyone he has worked with over the last 18 years in West Windsor, from the real estate agent who sold him his house, to the school board member who disagreed with him on policy issues, to two retired superintendents. Rather than throwing people under the bus, he tolerates differences of opinion and works with people to iron out those differences.
Hsueh, on the other hand, has fallen out with many talented running mates he’s had over the past 20 years: Alison Miller, Heidi Kleinman, Diane Ciccone, and most recently Linda Geevers. It appears that they questioned his policies one too many times. Each of them has either subsequently run against him or chosen not to seek elected office in West Windsor.
In the coming four years we face serious issues, such as developing the old American Cyanamid property, fixing traffic issues on Route 1, the Cranbury Road sidewalk problem, and keeping taxes in check. Can we afford a mayor who doesn’t tolerate dissent? In that regard, Hsueh’s campaign slogan of “Moving Forward Together” is truly ironic. As history teaches us, “together” for Hsueh means you must agree with him on every issue. Question him once and you aren’t together anymore. Is this why council president George Borek canceled a long-scheduled council meeting for no apparent reason other than to avoid making the absence of the mayor at the council meeting obvious to people watching on TV? Will Kristina Samonte be the next to feel the axe?
West Windsor needs a mayor who will tolerate dissent and work to resolve differences of opinion in a collegial manner. Hemant will listen to all viewpoints and come up with the best solutions embodying all of our collective wisdom and institutional memory. As he has shown repeatedly as school board president, he is the person who can truly unite us and move us forward.
Madhuwanti Bhat
Dunbar Drive
I had the great honor to work closely with Hemant Marathe for nine years on the WW-P school board, as vice president, as chair of the both the finance and administration and facilities committees, and on more negotiating and ad hoc committees than I care to remember. If that sounds like a busy nine years, I can tell you that my contributions paled in comparison to Hemant’s. His boundless energy, eminent good judgment, and fair-minded leadership have served the community well, and I know these qualities will serve West Windsor well when he is elected mayor.
I believe a mayor ought to act in the best interests of those who have elected him. A mayor should not always seem to care more about how he can accommodate, and polish his reputation with, outside interests. For nine years I’ve seen Hemant work effectively and relentlessly for what is best for our community. I saw him pressured at times by narrow special interests, and saw him remain focused and dedicated to doing what was right for the schools.
I saw him manage the development of a referendum that addressed essential capital improvements while also insisting on long-term planning to keep debt service within bounds. Hemant always showed good common sense; he insisted that all viewpoints be heard, and he was willing and able to make a decision and move forward.
I believe a mayor should be able to look you in the eye and say honestly and directly what he thinks and really listen when you have something to say. For nine years as colleagues on the school board Hemant and I have faced issues on which we have often agreed, but sometimes disagreed. I grew to greatly admire and respect Hemant’s ability to effectively listen and respond to the questions and concerns of others, to be direct and honest, and to find a compromise or fashion a consensus where it seemed compromise and consensus were impossible.
I don’t care what a candidate’s political affiliation is so long as he has the qualities and character to do the job. I never voted for someone, or opposed anyone, simply because of his or her party affiliation. I was taught — and I believe — that to do so would be a form of civic irresponsibility. I have voted for the current mayor in past elections, but this Election Day I look forward to voting for Hemant Marathe.
Robert J. Johnson
After nearly two years on West Windsor Town Council dealing with Mayor Hsueh and his administration, in addition to 17 years as a West Windsor resident, I whole-heartedly believe it is time for a change in leadership. In my view, Mayor Hsueh’s accomplishments over the past 20 years in office (12 as mayor and 8 on council) are underwhelming at best, and his record for increasing taxes on West Windsor residents is even worse.
In my view, he has accomplished very little during that time of his own initiative and virtually nothing as it relates to addressing the dangers along Cranbury Road, rallying against the MCCC solar farm, or preserving the township’s farming heritage. His tendency to try to take credit for others’ initiatives, such as Mr. Cyzner’s excellent re-development of the Acme complex, is lamentable, and he has developed a track record of not adequately maintaining/managing township assets. The Grover Homestead is a perfect example.
On the other hand, Hemant Marathe has served on the WW-P School Board over the same 12 years that Hsueh has been mayor and has delivered impressive results for residents. West Windsor schools consistently rank among the best in New Jersey and, during Marathe’s 12-year tenure (nine as school board president), the increase in school taxes has been just 45 percent versus the 131 percent increase in local taxes that Hsueh has overseen during the same period. In addition, while keeping the school budget in check, the assets of the school system have materially improved during his tenure.
As it relates to Marathe as a person, I have known him for several years and have always found him to be thoughtful in his decision- making, willing to listen to alternative views, and of the highest integrity. I believe his business background has helped him in his budgetary oversight, and I believe this would greatly benefit West Windsor taxpayers when he is mayor. Conversely, Hsueh is a career government employee/politician who seemingly has little knowledge of how the “real” world works. This is exactly what this town — and country — need less of.
West Windsor deserves a leader who will be present at all town council meetings and who will listen to the concerns of residents and engage with council members. It is through this engagement that the work of the township can get done expeditiously and cost-effectively.
Bryan Maher
West Windsor Town Council
With regard to the upcoming mayoral election in West Windsor, Paul Pitluk asks the question, “What change do you have in mind?”
Well, first, I would like to have more open and transparent government. Hsueh is conducting business behind closed doors without any input from residents. That’s why the sidewalk got put on the wrong side of Meadow Road.
Second, I would like to have lower taxes. Township taxes under Mr. Hsueh’s leadership have more than doubled, while school taxes have increased only to keep pace with inflation and student growth.
Third, I would like more restraint in the residential growth that Hsueh is promoting with abandon.
Fourth, I would like a mayor who is accessible and actually listens to the citizens of West Windsor. Finally, I would like a mayor who is truly interested in the well-being of West Windsor, not someone who is simply using West Windsor as a stepping stone in his political career.
Dr. Marathe provides the positive change that West Windsor needs. His record on the school board has demonstrated how you can achieve all these changes while still maintaining an excellent school system.
Daniel Marks
Westminster Court
Last week I got a flyer from Mayor Hsueh called “the 130.6% myth.” On his website and through letters to the editor from his supporters the mayor claims that municipal taxes have decreased under his leadership since the tax rate is lower than when he took office. But you’ll see the same accounting effect for the school and county tax rates also, due to the 2005 revaluation.
There is an easy way for West Windsor voters to check who is telling the truth, Hsueh or Marathe. Look at your own tax bill and decide who has done a better financial job. Here are actual tax numbers from my own property tax bills.
My municipal taxes increased from $1,135 in 2001 to $2,578 last year, for an increase of 127 percent. My school taxes increased from $6,458 to $9,627, an increase of 49 percent. Due to revaluation, everyone’s percentage tax increase may be slightly different. However, there is absolutely no doubt that the school district’s financial performance under the leadership of Marathe was unambiguously much better than the township tax performance under the leadership of Hsueh.
You don’t have to take my word for it. Look at your own tax bills. You’ll find that Marathe’s flyer showing an average township tax increase of 130 percent is close to your individual tax increase, while Hsueh’s flyer is the real “trick” in true “trick or treat” Halloween fashion.
Punit Marathe
Clarendon Court, West Windsor
The writer is the wife of Hemant Marathe.
