Running for public office is hard.
Putting your name on a ballot for the purpose of serving a constituency is one of the most frightening things anyone can do. You put yourself and your family out there, hoping others will respond positively to your message.
Without committed men and women willing to serve, our representative governments would cease to exist.
That is why I am so grateful for the Robbinsville Township Council, which held its annual reorganization meeting on Jan. 16.
The current governing body of President Mike Todd, Vice President Debbie Blakely, Chris Ciaccio, Hal English and Amit Chopra has been a pleasure to work with. The hard work that they put in, the way they apply themselves every day, and their commitment to communicating with residents inside and outside of public meetings have been nothing short of exemplary. We are in their debt.
Congratulations to our “newest” Councilman Hal English, who was appointed last year to fill Mike Cipriano’s unexpired term, and to the surprise of no one ran unopposed in the November 5 election. Hal has a wealth of experience, and we are very lucky to have him.
Mike Todd is a true leader, and it also came as no surprise that he was renamed Council president by his peers. Debbie Blakely has been remarkable in every sense of the word. Watching her grow and find her voice from the dais has been very exciting and gratifying to witness. Chris Ciaccio has a wealth of knowledge, experience, and a big heart to match, while Amit Chopra has brought passion, dedication and determination to his first full year on the governing body.
We have a great deal to accomplish this year, and I am thrilled to once again collaborate with these dedicated public servants.
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I am pleased to report that we will soon have the first shared municipal court and police station in the history of Mercer County. We want to thank Hightstown Borough for their partnership and patience throughout this massive undertaking.
Now that the nearly 10-year sublease of the former Roma/Investors Bank building at 2300 Route 33 has been finalized, we were able to secure a number of very qualified bidders on Jan. 16 to complete the renovations.
As we continue to review the proposals it appears the project will be on budget. The bank was willing to leave us a great deal of furniture—much more than Robbinsville could ever use—and some of our neighboring communities, along with the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, were able to claim some of it, which was great. We expect to be underway with those extensive renovations in early March.
When we talk about shared services, having the trust to partner on EMS, police and court is unique and very special. One of the few positive things to come from the pandemic is the mayors of Mercer County became very close, and we have been able to join together to redefine inter-local agreements in a way few of us thought possible. I am very grateful for that.
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In closing, I wish to congratulate new Robbinsville Township Police Chief Bill Swanhart, Lieutenant Scott Kivet, and Sergeants Shawn Bruton and Tom Septak on their recent promotions. Robbinsville residents are in fine hands!
Dave Fried is the mayor and Director of Public Safety for Robbinsville Township.
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