To the Editor:
A year ago we had the water referendum followed by the council passing the Hopewell 57 ordinance and PILOT agreement. Now we have the chance to elect two new council members to make the Council more diverse and more likely to understand crucial decisions with big financial consequences.
The lessons learned from 2024 and 2025 are relevant. We learned:
- Council would have sold the water system out from under us until residents petitioned for the referendum.
- Council rushed to approve the American Water contract before sharing it with the public. After a member of the community reviewed the contract and pointed out weaknesses; Council was uninterested in improving the terms in the public interest.
- Council members joined forces with American Water in a pressure campaign to sell our system.
- Two days after the referendum vote, Council proposed the ordinance to proceed with the tax abatement for the Hopewell 57 developer. The Council passed Ordinance 906 authorizing a tax abatement and pilot agreement with Hopewell 57 urban renewal entity LLC in early December 2025.
It’s also relevant for us to decide the best use of the income from the sale. Now the Boro’s most valuable asset has been sold to pay off debt (like paying off your credit card). The debt service was costing the Borough about a million dollars per year. Now that the debt is paid, we have a million dollar per year surplus. Many people voiced concern about affordability and tax relief during the campaign to sell the water system last year. The question is, do you want tax relief? Do you want to spend 3-4 million dollars on a department of public works building partly designed for a water department that no longer exists?
Certainly, there will be legitimate capital improvements needed in the years ahead which should be properly justified and budgeted. With a reduced budget we should see a lower municipal tax bill. The community should take stock of the implications of the past two years rather than going on a spending spree.
Justine Levine and James Higgins will bring more qualifications and common sense to the Borough. They will facilitate community relationships and true progress as we figure out how to handle the consequences of the PILOT agreement and the community and environmental impact that 120 new residences will have on the Borough.
Sincerely,
June Schwank
Hopewell Borough
