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COMMUNITYNEWS.ORG
West Windsor elections: Partisan or nonpartisan? Voters to choose in referendum on Nov. 5 ballot By Bill SAnseRVinO
West Windsor voters will soon decide whether to shift the way their municipal elections operate. A referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot will ask if residents want to change municipal elections for mayor and council from nonpar-
tisan to partisan. The proposal emerged after six residents gathered more than 1,500 signatures, triggering the vote. The members of the Petitioners Committee are James Appenzeller, Henry Hsiao, Dale Lessne, Sweekrutha Shankar, Elizabeth Wagner and Yingchao “YZ” Zhang. If a majority of residents vote “Yes” in favor of the change, the next municipal election in November 2025 will follow rules
for partisan elections. As the referendum date nears, two advocacy groups with opposing views have emerged. “West Windsor Voters for Transparency and Representation” supports a shift to partisan elections, while “Keep West Windsor Nonpartisan” favors keeping elections nonpartisan. Statements from both groups appear in this issue of the News, starting on page 9. See REFERENDUM, Page 6
State approves dissolution of Plainsboro Fire District By Bill SAnseRVinO
WW-P High School South girls’ soccer player Shaili Holden poses for a photo. For more on Holden and the team, see page 14. (Photo by Rich Fisher.)
The state Department of Community Affairs’ Local Finance Board in October approved the dissolution of Plainsboro Fire District No. 1. The decision allows for the fire district’s operations to be transferred to Plainsboro Township, which will incorporate the fire services into its Department of Public Safety.
The dissolution follows concerns raised by township officials after the Fire District held a referendum in February seeking approval for a $1.5 million budget increase through new taxes. The Plainsboro Fire District budget for the 2024 operating year exceeded the state mandated 2% increase allowed ($53,000 based on the 2023 Plainsboro Fire District budget of $2.65 million).
The referendum was overwhelmingly rejected by voters, with 1,091 against and only 200 in favor. Said a township news release: “There was no information or explanation regarding the need for this drastic increase... The township requested backup as to the factors driving this increase but did not receive a proper response. See NEWS, Page 5
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID SPRINGFIELD,1179 MA NEWARK, NJ PERMIT NO. 142