Paul Anzano and Sky Morehouse, two long-time elected officials who left office in 2024, are among the best known politicians in recent Hopewell Borough memory, but neither one grew up in Hopewell Valley.
Ryan Kennedy, the two-term council member who succeeded Anzano as mayor in January, did grow up in Hopewell Valley — first on Main Street in Pennington, and later in Hopewell Township.
After graduating from the Hopewell Valley Central High School and college, Kennedy study law at Seton Hall University Law School in Newark. During that time, he lived in Hoboken.
When it came time to settle down in 2010, though, he looked back toward the place where he grew up — ending up in Hopewell Borough, where he became just the third owner of a now 120-year-old house in the heart of town.
“After college and law school, I was looking for a walkable community with lots of things to do, and Hopewell Borough hit all the right notes,” he says.
Kennedy joined the board of trustees of Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space in 2014. He is still on the board today, serving as its vice president. “The group does amazing work in preservation and stewardship of the lands around Hopewell Valley and these greenbelt areas around Hopewell Borough, which is fantastic,” Kennedy says.
He is proud that FoHVOS was a sponsor for the Outdoor Equity Alliance, which has recently spun off as a nonprofit agency of its own. “It’s a big deal to preserve land, and it’s hard work, but it’s even more important that we take the next step to make sure it’s open and accessible to everyone, and I’m really pleased that those efforts are continuing,” he says. “Land preservation is great, but the thing is that it’s also used to keep people away from that land. It sits empty. So the flip side of that is making sure equity is a core part of all those decisions.”
Kennedy has recently stepped back from a leadership position at the board of the Hopewell Valley YMCA, where he had been serving as president of the board of directors. He remains a member of the board.
“I’m very excited about the work that they continue to do, whether it’s sports or child care or the mobile food pantry — the Y is a parent organization for that, and the work they are doing with Hopewell Township right now, for a new community and senior center (behind the ShopRite on Pennington Circle) is really important. I’m very excited that the Y purchased 14 acres for that project and continue to work with the township on the design and working together to move that forward. It will be very exciting to have a community center that the boroughs and township can all use together.”
He says he was moved to get more involved in local government after being dissatisfied with the results of the 2016 presidential election. He had run unsuccessfully for a seat on council once before, but decided to give it another go.
“After the 2016 election, I decided to throw my hat in the ring again. I took a look at what was happening nationally and decided it was time to do something locally and have an impact here,” he says.
He was elected to serve on council in 2017 and again in 2020. When long-time mayor Paul Anzano announced in 2023 that he would not run again, Kennedy decided to step up and run for mayor. He was unopposed in November’s election, and sworn in as borough mayor in January.
As mayor, he wants to focus on three things that residents tell him time and time again should be focuses of borough government. “Affordability, communication, and inclusion when it comes to working with the government,” he says.
Another area of focus is the environment — by which Kennedy means not just environmental science, but also the physical environment of Hopewell Borough, especially as it pertains to public safety. Last month, the borough, in collaboration with Hopewell Township and Mercer County, changed the speed limits along Broad Street to 25 mph in an effort to improve safety in Hopewell.
“Getting our speed limit reduced was a huge thing, and I’m so grateful to everyone at the county for helping to make it happen,” he says. “I am for always working toward a safer downtown for bicyclists and pedestrians.”
Kennedy admits that there are challenges coming down the pike in terms of affordability. The borough’s water system is in need of costly maintenance, and there remains the ongoing issue with PFAS, or “forever chemicals,” contaminating the borough water supply.
There is also an issue brewing between the boroughs and the township regarding the school tax burden and costs that may arise in the boroughs as a result of new residential development in the township.
“We have to make sure our residents are paying their fair share of taxes,” Kennedy says. “As a tiny municipality, we kind of get squeezed on both ends. Every small project we do has a big impact.”
To improve communication and transparency, Kennedy says, the borough is making an effort to get council meeting agendas out earlier and to put more meetings online. Planning board meetings are now online, and in February, council meetings were changed to two-way meetings online, meaning those in attendance via Zoom can now speak up at meetings.
“You shouldn’t have to have a question or issue (that you wish to raise) that’s babysitter worthy, or worth missing dinner with your family, to conduct business with the government,” Kennedy says.
Kennedy and borough administrator Doug Walker are also now holding drop-in sessions at borough hall every other Wednesday and the second Saturday of every month.
“If someone has a business idea or issue with their property, we meet with them, set them up with our zoning officer to work with them if need be,” he says. “If they have problems, we want to work with them to solve them. We want to make it clear as a town: if you have an idea, come meet with us. We’ll help you work it out.”
One idea that has come through this process is the possibility of officially designating the borough as an area in need of rehabilitation — a designation pertaining to the state’s local redevelopment and housing law that would enable the borough to adopt a redevelopment plan that offers certain tax benefits for entities within the zone.
“It’s great to be able to connect with so many people,” he says. “People I’ve known for a long time, and people I’ve never met before, they’ve been showing up at these sessions to let us know what’s on their mind.”
Kennedy has two daughters: Gloria, a sophomore at Hopewell Valley Central High School, and Pearl, a sixth grader at Timberlane.
In his professional life, Kennedy is a lawyer with Stevens and Lee in Princeton. He specializes in real estate acquisition and development and land-use law, experience that has served him well not only on council and as mayor, but also in his board roles with FoHVOS and the YMCA.
“It’s helpful for me to be able to apply that (experience) to something close to home that I really care about,” he says.
When it comes to serving the borough as mayor, Kennedy says he is committed to learning what his constituents care about, and make sure the borough does whatever it can to make it a better place to work with and invest in.
“I’m honored to be a part of a great team here, between the council and staff,” Kennedy says. “We work well together, and we have so many fantastic volunteers. Everyone in the borough loves the town, and to be on the team to keep that moving forward is an absolute honor.”
Hopewell Borough Mayor Ryan Kennedy.,
