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I dind't know Pari was still on the TC.

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CRANBURY — Candidates for Township Committee promised to try and keep taxes low by attracting new ratables and limiting spending.

The three candidates — Republican Art Hasselbach, Democrat Glenn Johnson and Republican Dan Mulligan — are seeking two, three-year seats on the Township Committee. They spoke Tuesday at Candidates Night and also provided written statements to The Cranbury Press.

Incumbent Democrats Pari Stave and Richard Stannard are not seeking re-election.

In their statements and at Candidates Night, the hopefuls also spoke about their opposition to the way in which the state imposes its affordable housing rules on municipalities and said the township needs to address traffic and parking concerns raised by residents.

Candidates Night was organized by The Woman’s Club of Cranbury Public Affairs and Social Services Department.
Art Hasselbach, Republican

Republican candidate Art Hasselbach, who has been elected twice to the Township Committee in the past, owns Hasselbach Property Management and Beta Crafts. He has lived in the township for about 50 years, and has two daughters with his wife Carol.

He has been involved with the Cranbury Lions Club for many years, and is currently on the Zoning Board of Adjustment, which he has also previously served on for 12 years. He was also on the Development Review Committee for three years.

Mr. Hasselbach’s father was also involved with the township, having been a member on both the zoning and planning boards and the Township Committee.

In his written statement, Mr. Hasselbach said he is running again because he believes Cranbury needs a businessman’s point of few. In addition, he said he grew up in town and watched it evolve from the farmland it was many years ago.

”I want to make sure we make (the township) sustainable and affordable,” Mr. Hasselbach said. “I’m not going to be on the job training.”

If problems would arise down the road for the township, Mr. Hasselbach said he’d have more experience in dealing with them.

”What I have is the history,” he said.

According to Mr. Hasselbach, a potential problem that may arise could be a resulting tax burden on residents if the former Aetna Insurance Building, located at Cranbury South River Road and Prospect Plains Road, is demolished by its owner.

This is so because the building provides the township with about $600,000 in revenue, Mr. Hasselbach said.

Mr. Hasselbach said that the Council on Affordable Housing, COAH, is also big issue in Cranbury because Cranbury currently is required to buy land to meet its state requirement.

”Hopefully, they’ll change regulations,” Mr. Hasselbach added at Candidates’ Night.

Mr. Hasselbach responded to residents’ concerns about parking by saying that he had been involved with adding parking spaces on Main Street.

As for traffic, he wanted to see the traffic that cuts through Cranbury routed elsewhere.

”I’d like to see some that get out of here,” Mr. Hasselbach said.
He suggested that creating a bypass or bridge would be beneficial to the township, but there is no money available to do so.

Glenn Johnson, Democrat

Democrat Glenn Johnson has been a writer and editor for Bloomberg Financial Markets for the last 20 years. He lives with his wife of 35 years, Phyllis.

He has served on the Zoning Board of Adjustment for five years, and is involved with the Cranbury Lions Club and the Cranbury United Methodist Church.

”My goals are to protect the village, preserve farmland, and hold the line on property taxes,” he said in his statement.

”My biggest concern for the near future is the reduced tax receipts due to commercial tax appeals,” Mr. Johnson said. “It will be important to attract new ratables to replace those we lose.”

Specifically, Mr. Johnson said that there are two parcels of land within the township that could “be developed if they are given the appropriate permitted use.”

If developed, they could eventually then produce ratables for the township, Mr. Johnson said.

At Candidates’ Night, Mr. Johnson said that the township should continue to follow the strategy of accepting guidance from COAH in order to avoid a Builder’s Remedy Lawsuit.

He also said, regarding parking concerns, that signs that would direct people where to park would be beneficial. Mr. Johnson added that speaking with Main Street business owners in order to develop a plan where employees would park elsewhere, rather than on Main Street, could help with freeing up parking spaces.

Mr. Johnson said that additional signs to direct trucks out of the village, and creating a stronger police presence during the hours kids are going to and from school, would be beneficial.

Dan Mulligan, Republican

Republican Dan Mulligan is a senior messaging and collaboration infrastructure engineer at Ernst & Young and is married to Brenda Dreyling Mulligan. They have two children.

He is active in the greater community through his work with his son’s Boy Scout troop, his coaching position in the Cranbury-Plainsboro Little League, and his volunteer work as a chief information officer for Ed Randall’s Fans for the Cure Prostate Cancer Charity.

In his written statement, Mr. Mulligan said, “Over the last several years, I have been an active and vocal participant at Township Committee meetings, township budget planning meetings and various other board meetings where I have advocated on behalf of residents whose thoughts and concerns were important to those discussions.”
”This experience and knowledge along with my business background and community involvement prepares me to represent Cranbury on the Township Committee,” Mr. Mulligan said.

Mr. Mulligan said in his statement that maintaining low taxes in Cranbury, stopping speeders, increasing ratables by working with the business association, and maintaining the township’s historical character are all important issues in Cranbury.

Another big issue is that COAH could eventually put Cranbury into more debt, Mr. Mulligan said.

”With regard to this issue we need to continue to make our case of how well Cranbury has provided affordable housing to our legislative leaders at the state level so they can act and change the current laws through legislation,” Mr. Mulligan said.

Mr. Mulligan added at Candidates Night that, until the legislation is changed, the township needs to continue to play within the rules because of Builder’s Remedy Lawsuits.
On parking, Mr. Mulligan said that now since the township’s Master Plan is being reopened, there is an opportunity to discuss parking because it is a problem that will only get worse.

Mr. Mulligan said that he would speak with neighbors and police in order to do something about the “cut-through” community that Cranbury has become.

http://centraljersey.com/articles/2010/10/22/cranbury_press/news/doc4cbf70800e2ec598610295.txt