The six candidates for West Windsor Council were asked to give a brief biography and provide answers to the questions below. Their responses are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
1.) Please summarize your background, career path, academic credentials, etc.
2.) What do you think should happen to the Wyeth/Howard Hughes land at Quakerbridge Road and Route 1? What steps would you recommend to achieve that result?
3.) A plan has been advanced to renovate the township office complex at a cost of several million dollars. What is your opinion of that expenditure?
4.) Several projects have been proposed to enhance the downtown area of West Windsor, including the pocket park next to the 7/11 and a proposal for landscaping the pond area in front of the Junction train station. Would you continue these efforts? Add other projects to the list? If so, how would they best be financed?
5.) What areas of township operations or infrastructure are most in need of immediate improvement?
6.) Do you anticipate a need to raise property taxes in the foreseeable future? Why or why not? Do you have a plan to lower taxes? How would you implement that?
7.) Long-term what are the biggest challenges facing West Windsor?
8.) Are there any other issues that you would like to raise?
9.) Is there a public figure or personal acquaintance you look up to as an inspiration or a role model?
1.) I have a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology. I was an engineer with JCP&L and PSE&G, working on reliability and sustainability projects. After that, I worked at IBM and for the federal government as a consultant for smart electricity infrastructure. Currently, I am a director at a green-tech startup that focuses on making solar energy economical and reliable through energy storage technology.
2.) I moved to West Windsor for the excellent school system and the small town feel. I do not want to see the Howard Hughes property turned into a Transit Village 2.
If not handled properly, this development could change the face of West Windsor by increasing our population by 10,000 people. We must ensure that doesn’t happen. Additionally, the project must be tax positive, and minimizing the impact on our school district and roads must be a top priority. It is imperative that residents be included throughout the process. Public communication has been avoided for too long.
3.) As an expert in energy efficiency, I have a lot to contribute to the discussion of a renovation of the municipal center. I have successfully advised, implemented, and managed sustainability plans for towns across New Jersey. Relying on the recommendations of outside contractors and architects could result in a much greater expenditure for this project than is necessary. We need to look at how such spending complements and relates to the overall master plan on sustainability.
4.) I would continue these efforts to further beautify West Windsor and to update our facilities. However, the best way to finance these projects is through private funding or increased commercial ratables.
5.) During hurricanes Sandy and Irene, our electric infrastructure left parts of West Windsor with intolerable outages. The town’s procedures and long-term plan to deal with such a situation are severely lacking. The township’s primary approach to mitigating such problems is to send people to the Senior Center. We can do better than that.
We need new and proven ideas with qualified leadership to efficiently execute it. For example, when the MCCC solar project was planned, our administration should have insisted on societal benefits for West Windsor, like the ability to use that power in an emergency.
6.) Our municipal taxes have more than doubled over the last 12 years — they grew 131 percent to be exact. That’s unacceptable. So I don’t anticipate the need to raise property taxes, in fact, quite the contrary. With prudent financial management and by looking at every line item in the budget, we can reduce taxes. Real, substantial cuts — unlike the insignificant $8,500 in cuts made this year — need to be made. When you factor in student growth, the school district portion of our taxes went up no more than the rate of inflation, so there is no reason why we can’t control the municipal budget, too.
7.) A plan needs to be implemented to increase commercial ratables to take some of the tax burden off residents. There is also no clear vision for our town. We need a sustainable, long-term plan. With so many mismanaged issues around town — the Transit Village, Cranbury Road sidewalks, the solar “farm” debacle — the focus has been solely on stop-gap solutions. We need to be proactive in returning West Windsor to the vibrant, close-knit community it once was.
8.) As I meet with residents I’m told repeatedly that they want to be heard. They want to be included in the process of shaping their town. And with such a wealth and diversity of experience, why wouldn’t they be included? Yet time and again the needs of residents are ignored. I’d like to change that. If elected, the team of Marathe, Geevers and Mendonez would foster an open, collaborative process that includes the residents of West Windsor.
9.) I often look to my dad for inspiration. He is a self-made man, creating a medical business from the ground up after working for many years as a mechanical engineer. Through his hard work and dedication, he changed the lives of his four children who are the first-born American generation in the family. I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have if it weren’t for him.
