There are municipal elections in all three Hopewell Valley communities this November, although only one of the three races is contested.
Hopewell Borough Council Democratic candidates Anthony Fuller and Debra Stuhler are both running unopposed for their seats. In Pennington Borough, Democrats Daniel Rubenstein and Nadine Stern are also unopposed in the council race.
In Hopewell Township, Democratic incumbent Uma Purandare is running against Republican challenger Bob Zansitis for one available seat on the township committee.
Community News sent questionnaires to candidates of all three communities. Their biographies and responses to our questions follow below. Some have been edited as lightly as possible for length and clarity.
Hopewell Township
Uma Purandare, 57, is a resident of Brandon Farms. She has lived in Hopewell Township for 26 years, after her career as a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry brought her to the area.
She has been married to husband Ashok Purandare, also a research scientist, for 33 years. Their children, Rohit and Radhika, are graduates of HVCHS.
Although we made repeated attempts to encourage Bob Zansitis to respond to our questionnaire, and extended our deadline, ultimately he did not send us any responses. Therefore, only Uma Purandare’s answers appear below.
Community News: Tell us about the moment you decided to run, or run again, for office.
Uma Purandare: I am proud of what we have accomplished over the past three years to ensure the affordability, health, and safety of our community. Nevertheless, I recognize there is more work to do and look forward to building upon that in the future. For example, my colleagues and I kept the township budget below the inflation rate and supported the expansion of the police force to ensure safety.
Further, I championed Sustainable Jersey recertification and was proud to accept it along with the committee members and the Environmental Commission. I am proud to represent the diverse residents and want to build Hopewell Township into a welcoming community.
CN: The Hopewell Parc PILOT payment plan has been a hot button issue for many voters. How do you feel the issue has been handled? What do you think would be the best way to resolve it?
Uma Purandare: Hopewell Township has negotiated PILOT agreements to meet our affordable housing requirement. Without these agreements, we would have used taxpayers’ dollars to build affordable housing, which would have cost $150 to $200 million, or faced a builder’s remedy lawsuit that would have required building ten houses for every affordable unit, totaling over 6,500 homes. I fully support affordable housing and look forward to welcoming our new neighbors, just as my family was welcomed.
I am committed to using PILOT funds to offset a substantial portion of the costs of improvements at Bear Tavern Elementary School. The PILOT agreement with Lennar explicitly outlines the use of these funds to support the school district and the new senior and community Center.
CN: That issue aside, what do you think are two of the most important issues facing the township right now?
Uma Purandare: Preserving Hopewell Township’s character and environmental resources while accommodating growth is an ongoing challenge. By balancing development with focused conservation efforts, Hopewell Township aims to maintain its rural character and quality of life while meeting its obligations and fostering sustainable growth. To that end, I am proud that our Township has the most land preserved of all municipalities in Mercer County.
Additionally, balancing the need for revenue with preserving open space remains an ongoing challenge. The Township continues to help reduce taxpayers’ burden and improve financial position by attracting more commercial ratables, such as BeiGene a multinational company that made multimillion-dollar investments that will help offset residential property taxes; by implementing PILOT agreements with developers; by seeking revenue from cannabis; and by exploring opportunities for shared service with neighboring towns.
CN: Why are you the right person to serve on the committee for the next three years?
Uma Purandare: Hopewell Township has been a leader in implementing a comprehensive zoning and land preservation strategy with a focus on promoting commercial development while ensuring fiscal responsibility for the future well-being of the Township, all while preserving its historical and rural charm and environmental assets.
As Deputy Mayor, and with experience as a member of the Planning and Zoning Boards, and as a liaison to the Environmental Commission, I have the knowledge and experience to balance these competing needs.
Pennington Borough
Daniel Rubenstein, 74, lives in Pennington Borough. He has been a borough resident since 1981.
Rubenstein and wife Nancy are both educators, and their children are both graduates of Hopewell Valley schools.
Nadine Stern, 70, has lived in Hopewell Valley for 35 years. She and her husband have raised two daughters who both attended public schools. They live in Pennington with their dog, Max.
CN: Tell us about the moment you decided to run, or run again, for office.
Daniel Rubenstein: I have always cherished community service. When I first moved to Pennington, I was asked to run for school board because of my love of teaching and experience with my son’s primary school in a village outside of Cambridge, England. During the early 1990s I served on the school board for 6 years, two as president.
During that time, I was also asked to join the Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space. As an ecologist working on wildlife in Kenya, Israel, China, and the Barrier Islands of the North Carolina coast, I eagerly did so since my science shapes conservation planning and practice and I was happy to help expand FoHVOS’ mission to include land stewardship as well as land preservation. I served as president for 6 years, only stepping down this year when asked by a member of borough council to run for office.
Nadine Stern: After the 2016 election, I committed to get involved in politics. Being locally active is an important aspect of that commitment. In 2020, Mayor Lawver asked me to run for council. I have served since 2021 and I love it. I am honored to represent a community who wants to ensure that Pennington remains a livable community. This means addressing concerns like climate change, taxes and equity. I am dedicated to open communication and transparency.
CN: The Hopewell Parc PILOT payment plan has been a hot button issue for many voters. From the point of view of your hometown, how do you feel the issue has been handled? What do you think would be the best way to resolve it?
Daniel Rubenstein: Providing affordable housing and ensuring that our schools remain excellent as well as solid, strong and secure are issues that are important to me. When on the school board, I successfully helped pass one bond issue and many teachers’ contracts. Fairness was the key to financial success; convincing everyone that we all had to support our schools with our taxes helped keep our school system one of the best in New Jersey.
I don’t know the full details of how the PILOT program was formulated and I do not yet understand the details that enabled the township to receive unrestricted funds from the developer of the housing project. All I know is that the residents of Pennington and Hopewell felt that they were being taxed at a high rate, one that seemed unequal for different residential communities in the Valley. With the school bond being voted down, I’m sure another version will be crafted soon since the schools need repair.
I hope that when the new version appears, the three governing bodies in the Valley can work out a way to use enough of the unrestricted funds available to the township to divide up the costs so that they are equitably distributed across the Valley’s communities.
Nadine Stern: In retrospect, the township and boroughs should have addressed the financial impacts of the PILOT before it was final. We all want excellent schools, but tax distribution must be fair and costs must be controlled. Given the litigation, I will only say that it would be best for Hopewell Township to disclose their planned contribution to HVRSD so that future property tax increases and their impact on Borough households can be determined and communicated.
We need a standing committee with elected officials and citizens with adequate representation from the Boroughs who are so highly impacted by school costs. Given that we have a shared regional school district we all need to govern and set taxes with that in mind.
CN: That issue aside, what do you think are two of the most important issues facing your town right now?
Daniel Rubenstein: Issues associated with making Pennington’s environment more sustainable is one area where I think I can make a difference. Flooding has become a problem in some areas of the town, and developing a borough-wide storm management plan is something that I can assist with. And the same goes for finding ways of keeping the town cool as climate change raises temperatures; to seeing if we can make lawns and habitats more biologically friendly; and to keeping our environmental footprint as light as possible by making Pennington a walking friendly town.
Another area where my background can help is in redeveloping some of the unused properties in Pennington. It is a high priority of mine to ensure that development does not destroy the character, or the environment, of Pennington, while also ensuring that affordable housing is available to those who work in Pennington and the Valley and who want to live in the Pennington.
Nadine Stern: I see three critical issues: fiscal responsibility; improved stormwater management, which heavy rains has shown to be a major concern; and a responsible increase of affordable housing. For these issues, we need to gather facts and be sure to hear from residents and businesses. Then we must consider and evaluate all possible options and identify the most advantageous approach.
These are complex issues, with no one right answer, but I can be counted on to communicate openly, listen to all sides and make a balanced decision. I feel strongly about public service and am very concerned about climate change, social equity and the overall quality of our residents’ lives. Those values are at the core of every decision that I will make for Pennington.
CN: Why are you the right person to serve on the council for the next three years?
Daniel Rubenstein: I have a passion for helping others. And with years of experiences in shaping policies that have benefited people worldwide facing economic, social, and environmental challenges, I will share my perspectives and insights as we work together to ensure that Pennington remains a special place where we want to work, raise families, relax, and even retire.
Nadine Stern: After one term, I have learned so much and along with my drive and respect for the trust the public has placed in me I will continue to work hard for Pennington. I am effective because I am available to residents, and I research issues and weigh decisions carefully. I was proud to be instrumental in increasing communication to the public by expanding the use and reach of email alerts and by working to make our government more accessible by increasing visibility. I also initiated new outreach including a Pennington Borough table at Pennington Day and Local Government Week events.
Hopewell Borough
Anthony Fuller, 52, lives on the west side of Hopewell Borough. A resident of the Valley since 2005, he is married to wife Sarah with children Colin and Claire.
Debra Stuhler, 69, has lived in Hopewell Valley for 22 years. The Hopewell Borough resident has been married to Bob Stuhler since 1988. Son Sam Stuhler attended Hopewell Schools, and graduated in 2011.
CN: Tell us about the moment you decided to run, or run again, for office.
Anthony Fuller: Hopewell Borough is a welcoming, safe place. I took that for granted for a long time, but as my kids grew up, I came to appreciate that communities like ours don’t appear from nowhere — people care, and they act. With my children now more independent, I can step up and show my commitment to the town by sharing my knowledge and experience, supporting Hopewell as it navigates challenging questions like development and the water system.
Debra Stuhler: I am running for my third term serving on Borough Council, as we have a lot of work to get done on major issues affecting the borough. This new administration led by Mayor Ryan Kennedy and Doug Walker, our borough administrator, is working hard to usher in a new era of inclusive, responsive, efficient government and includes implementing communication approaches that allow everyone to be heard. I am excited to be a part of it and will continue to work hard to make our beloved town the best it can be.
CN: The Hopewell Parc PILOT payment plan has been a hot-button issue for many voters. How do you feel the issue has been handled? What would be the best way to resolve it going forward?
Anthony Fuller: The Parc PILOT situation raises multiple, complex issues. Regarding the school district, it is unclear whether the long-term impact has been correctly estimated, given the size of the proposed development. In a shared resource like CHS, it is essential that all stakeholders have a voice — not least because of the anticipated tax implications for borough residents.
I welcome the increase in affordable housing. Hopewell Borough, however, has been losing services, and I worry that continued population growth in the township will make it harder for new businesses to justify setting up in the borough, leaving us more car-dependent, less independent. The Hopewell Borough that I want is a thriving, self-sustaining place where we can meet many of our daily needs without leaving town.
Debra Stuhler: The Hopewell Parc PILOT program is currently in litigation in the courts, but my hope is that the township will come to the table to negotiate a fair outcome with the two boroughs, that covers the cost for our shared regional school system here in the Valley.
CN: That issue aside, what do you think are two of the most important issues facing your town right now?
Anthony Fuller: The future of our water system is critical. The history is complex, and we now face a momentous choice about ownership. In principle I am not in favor of privatization, but there is no easy solution. In the coming year we must flesh out what the various scenarios could be, and assess the viability of those options, before the town decides what to do.
The other issue is development. Obviously we can’t oblige businesses to come to town, but I think most residents would agree that we want to see the borough thriving again. We need a vision of what Hopewell Borough can become. I would feel satisfied if, in three years, we had started setting out some clear goals to revitalize the borough.
Debra Stuhler: The biggest issues in Hopewell Borough are the redevelopment of the Hopewell 57 brownfield site and addressing the issues impacting our water system and our ability to sustain it. We as a council are working on both of these issues full time, and will continue to work hard to get the right approach and decisions made for the benefit of the borough and its residents.
CN: Why are you the right person to serve on council for the next 3 years?
Anthony Fuller: Hope-well Borough means a lot to me. It’s the only home my kids have known, and I have lived here longer than anywhere else. I am invested in this town.
I make a point of listening to alternative perspectives, which takes time and patience, because I know that good decisions take account of different peoples’ concerns. Professionally, I have extensive experience in procurement, contract negotiation, and sustainability. We face important decisions about Hopewell’s future, and I hope that my knowledge and personal approach will help us develop a positive, shared vision of what Hopewell Borough can become.
Debra Stuhler: I hope to continue to serve my community as a council member, as there is much work to be done. We have a great team on council right now and everyone brings their skill set to the table for the benefit of the community at large. I have served on many committees as council liaison over the past 6 years, I recruited some incredible local members to the Health Department to aid them in serving Hopewell Borough’s needs, the Building Committee works on taking care of properties owned by the borough, the Recreation Committee has been very successful in producing fun events for the town, and the Shade Tree committee is working hard to replace trees everywhere in town.
I am most proud of what we have been able to accomplish in support of our wonderful Librarians and the Little Red Library itself. The board has been renovating and enhancing the facility so that it may be the heart of the community it should have always been. I look forward to continuing my work on behalf of the borough we all call home.
