The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Ardaman Singh
Experience
My name is Ardaman Singh and I am a resident of Franklin Township. I’ve called this town my home now for 18 years as I went through my journey from college student to business professional, wife and eventually a mother. Today, I have two boys who attend Franklin Township District Public Schools – a freshman at Franklin High and a fifth grader at Sampson G Smith. I have an MBA in Human Resources & Business Communications with over 10 years of working experience and have served on the School PTO/PTSO Boards since 2008 at Franklin Park Elementary; Sampson G Smith and Franklin Middle.
Recently, I decided to take some time off from work to shift my focus full-time on the kids’ middle and high school years and help contribute, if elected, by participating and lending my professional expertise to the Board of Education. This decision is not a simple one.
I want to make a difference by contributing my professional experience as a Human Resources Executive. I understand human behavior. Even more importantly, I understand parental behavior and our animal instincts to keep our children safe and secure. And my HR training has taught me the need to apply common sense and logic when making decisions about things with long term ramifications such as the future of our children. I’ve seen first hand at the many board meetings I have attended as the PTO President for the elementary and middle school that being a board member is a complex, multidimensional job, sometimes frustrating as you struggle long hours with problems that never seem to be resolved. But the reward of watching students achieve, succeed and lead happy, productive lives as a result of an environment I can help develop is priceless. I also know that a major part of being a BOE member includes dealing with parents, happy and angry parents – and I have played this role for over nine years now.
Do you belong to any civic organizations:
- One of the founding member of Kaur and Singh Academy – A non-profit religious educational institution in New Jersey;
- Leadership Somerset Alumni;
- Member, Society of Human Resource Management;
- Member, Human Resources Management Association;
- PTO President – Franklin Park School, NJ (2008-2009); (2009-2010); (2010-2011) School Years
- PTO Executive Board Member (2011-2012) and (2012-2013) School Years
- PTO President – Sampson G Smith School, NJ (2013-2014) School Year
- PTSO Co-President – Franklin Middle School, NJ (2014-2015)
- PTSO President – Franklin Middle School, NJ (2015-2016)
What do you see as your three top issues, and how do you plan on dealing with them:
- Budgetary Constraints – work with the community to fill the gaps through fundraising to keep our programs going, especially the Arts.
- Keep and promote talent from within – seek the advise from teachers association and administrative association to provide competitive salaries and ensure we have the best talent within the district schools.
Address Charter Schools – host brainstorm sessions on how to get the students back into the public schools and not lose district funds to charter schools. Our schools have the same resources that charter schools claim they provide. - In Addition – Some taxpayers and parents place a significant value on how popular media ranks our schools, most popular among those being NJ Monthly and U.S. News and World Report. What value do I place on these rankings? I go through the rankings carefully myself every year. After all, my children are members of the same educational system. The issue however is that none of these rankings can be taken at face value. There is both an art and a science that goes on behind the scenes before these rankings are made public. As informed taxpayers and parents, we must become better educated on how to read these reports and understand what goes on behind their results. There is a big gap between how the data is presented and what the reality is. That is the gap we have to close, communicate, and educate our community about – that the ongoing improvement and work that is taking place in our district is helping us chart a successful future for our children in the long term. That while many of these changes might not be reflected in annual rankings and their algorithms, they are necessary and important pieces of our journey to success.
Ardaman Singh
- Drainage of millions of dollars to charter schools where our public schools have extremely qualified staff and resources and helping students get admissions in their choice colleges and dream careers. …
If incumbent, how many years have you served: 1 term – 3 years
Membership in any civic organizations: Women United, United WAY.
What do you see as your three top issues, and how do you plan on dealing with them:
- Drainage of millions of dollars to charter schools where our public schools have extremely qualified staff and resources and helping students get admissions in their choice colleges and dream careers.
- Morale and self-esteem of staff. A teacher’s salary needs a lot of improvement in the United States.
- Financial Resources available to our public schools are always being cut and allocation of funds towards education should be the number one priority of our legislators. I commend Assemblyman Joe Danielsen for spearheading some of these efforts for our school boards.
To address these challenges the main step is to communicate, educate, and bring the parent and community at large together and then speak up with the facts. Bring these up to our assemblymen and legislatures and push forth changes at the top to change policies to bring about the changes for good.
Doug Singleterry
- North Plainfield Borough Council – 2005 to Present
- Council President-2013 to 2015
- Somerset County Governing Officials Association, former president
- Previously served as a board member and chapter chair of the former Tri-County Red Cross
Have you held any elected position before, and if so, what:
- North Plainfield Borough Council – 2005 to Present
- Council President-2013 to 2015
Do you belong to any civic organizations:
- Somerset County Governing Officials Association, former president
- Previously served as a board member and chapter chair of the former Tri-County Red Cross
What do you see as your three top issues, and how do you plan on dealing with them:
1) Education: We need to invest in the human capital of our residents in order to sustain a well-educated workforce. This can be accomplished by supporting the Somerset Vocational School and Raritan Valley Community College. With the increasing demand for high school vocational education, we should set up satellite campuses, take advantage of our close proximity to Rutgers University, and expand the number of programs in areas such as renewable energy, solar panel installation, retrofitting building and electrician training. With Raritan Valley Community College, we should expand the number of job training and certification programs for older workers and stabilize tuition which has increased 46% over six years.
2) Infrastructure: we must invest in our road and bridges and make sure construction projects get finished on time, such as the Route 518 bridge.
3) Economic development: we should reinstate the Economic Development Incentive Program to provide grants for local initiatives to reinvigorate downtown business districts, such as streetscape improvements and pocket parks.
Six Mile Run Reformed Church
For those puzzled by our name, here is an explanation. “Run” means creek or stream. Six Mile Run was the name of the location of a stream that crossed the old Indian Path (now Rt. 27) between New Brunswick and Trenton. The name “Six Mile Run” indicated to the travelers that they were six miles from Indian’s Ferry Landing on the Raritan River (now New Brunswick).…
Read MoreFor those puzzled by our name, here is an explanation. “Run” means creek or stream. Six Mile Run was the name of the location of a stream that crossed the old Indian Path (now Rt. 27) between New Brunswick and Trenton. The name “Six Mile Run” indicated to the travelers that they were six miles from Indian’s Ferry Landing on the Raritan River (now New Brunswick).
The Six Mile Run Reformed Church of Franklin Park, New Jersey has a long and rich history which not only attracts church history buffs in the area, but more importantly, inspires attention and respect from people near and far. In 2003, we celebrated the 300th anniversary of our roots, culminating in a visit by Reverend Dr. Robert Schuler.
The first house of worship, Three Mile Run, was built in 1703: its pastor was Rev. Guilliam Bertholf from Holland. As the congregation grew, members were sent out to start new churches. Six Mile Run emerged in 1710. In 1720, Reverend Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghysen became the permanent pastor. He was sent from Holland to take charge of the Dutch churches of Middlesex, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties.
In 1817 a new church was built to accommodate the increasing population growth. Sadly, this church burned on the night of January 7, 1879. By the grace of God and a lot of hard work, by December of that same year, the present day church with its hexagonal bell tower and tall slate shingle steeple was erected and dedicated.
The history of Six Mile Run Reformed Church would not be complete without acknowledging our mission and outreach programs through the years aiding people all over the world. In the early 1900s, we supported the missions of Rev. Eugene Booth, Principal of the Ferris Seminary in Yokahama, Japan. In 1927, Rev. Charles Scudder, from the famous family of missionaries, became pastor. His missionary work in Vellore, India was commemorated by establishing a hospital bed as a memorial to SMRRC.
We continue to support our local Seminaries and students by providing a wonderful learning environment to ministers in training.
It is our mission to invite all people to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. To nurture those whom God calls to this community towards spiritual maturity and equip them for their ministry and life mission as together we build a loving, learning community.
Our Heritage
The congregation of the Six Mile Run Reformed Church has been a strong presence in this community since the beginning of the 18th century. The congregation traces its roots to 1703 when a Reformed Church was established at Three Mile Run, a creek located three miles from current-day New Brunswick.
The first members were Dutch and Huguenot settlers, some of whose descendants still live in the community. In 1710, Rev. Paulus Van Vlecq established a splinter congregation at Six Mile Run, three miles away in present-day Elm Ridge.
The first church at Six Mile Run was constructed in 1717, one mile east of the current site. In 1766, that building was replaced with a new church, constructed at the site of the current building. In 1817 that building was replaced with a larger building that served the congregation until it was destroyed by fire on January 7, 1879.
The existing church was then constructed over the foundation of the previous building during the following eleven months. Re-opening in December of 1879, Six Mile Run Reformed Church is a historically significant example of Carpenter Gothic Revival style. Other additions in 1907 and 1958 provided needed space for a growing church in a growing community.
Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghuysen was the first pastor and served for 27 years. Rev. Osy Nüesch is the 18th installed pastor in the church’s 308-year history. Today the congregation is one of about 950 congregations of the Reformed Church in America and seeks to reflect the diversity of the community that surrounds it having made an intentional transition to a multicultural and multiethnic congregation.
A Brief History of Six Mile Run Reformed Church – 1703 to Present
- 1703 – Three Mile Run – First House of Worship
- 1710 – Six Mile Run Church in Elm Ridge
- 1717 – First Reformed Church in New Brunswick
- 1720 – First Full-Time Pastors, New Brunswick Theological Seminary, Queens College
- 1720-1760 – “Great Awakening” Revival
- 1745 – First House of Worship at present site, Franklin Park, NJ
- 1775 – Revolutionary War, Declaration of Independence
- 1817 – Second Church at present site
- 1865 – Civil War, Underground Railway
- 1879 – Second church destroyed by fire (Jan. 7, 1879)
- 1879 – Present Church built on foundation of previous church within one year (Dec. 1879)
- 1907 – Frelinghuysen Chapel
- 1914-1918 – First World War
- 1926 – Electricity installed
- 1934-1937 – Depression era
- 1939- Beginning Second World War
- 1941- US involvement in the Second World War begins
- 1945 – Second World War ends
- 1950s/60s – Vietnam, Korean Wars
- 1958 – Additions to Sanctuary & Frelinghuysen Chapel renovated
- 1995 – Impact Study
- 2000 – Turn of the Century
- 2003 – Celebration of the 300th Anniversary
- 2006 – Pastor David Risseeuw retires after 18 years
- 2007 – Search for New Pastor begins
- 2008 – Pastor Osy Nuesch installed on September 14
- 2009 – Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
3037 State Route 27, P O Box 649 Franklin Park 08823
Michael J. Smith
Experience
If incumbent, how many years have you served: Nearly 3 years (2018-2020)
If not, have you held any elected position before, and if so, what: NA
Membership in any civic organizations:
I am a member of the American Chemical Society and the NJACS Organic Topical Group.
Issues
What do you see as your three top issues, and how do you plan on dealing with them:
When thinking about the any issue, my guiding principle is that the education of our students is the top priority and it must be executed responsibly with the community’s interests in mind. This is also performed with the notion that a board member has the responsibility to not administer the schools, but, together with fellow board members, to see that they are run well.
- Dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic: This is likely at the top of everyone’s list of issues. Due to a lack of a concerted federal response and sparse yet operationally complex state response to Covid-19, responsibility for the safety of the FTPS community has fallen on the BOE and administration. I support opening the schools after the thorough determination that our facilities and procedures can provide effective scientifically based safe operating conditions. As a member of the BOE Facilities committee, I support the ongoing evaluation of all of our schools HVAC systems. FTPS is the only district in Somerset county that is performing a full evaluation of every HVAC systems in order to determine status of each and every room in every school. I want to ensure that we will be able to begin to return to in person learning (likely in stages) as the information and understanding about the virus unfolds not only for the safety of the community but for my two children who attend FHS. My training as a PhD scientist has provided the ability to rigorously and critically evaluate data presented on the coronavirus situation. Additionally, my wife is a registered nurse who worked through the height of the pandemic. Her hands-on experiences and descriptions of the impact of the virus have been invaluable to my ability to gauge the consequences to ensure we get it right. I support the options to not only return to in-person learning, when safe, but also a remote option for those who require it until the Covid19 virus is contained.
- Continue to enhance rigorous programming by the expansion of innovative college and career readiness programs, affording students the opportunity to pursue their passions with the necessary academic and social/emotional supports. FTPS needs to be an environment where all students feel safe and are encouraged to explore subjects that will prepare them for the future ahead. I support continuing to enroll more students in our approximately 30 varied AP classes, as well as support training programs to become a dental assistant or pilot with in FTPS. I’ll continue to support our art, music and media offerings which are among the best in the state.
- In order to not only provide renewable energy sources to save the district money, I am supporting the expansion of solar energy projects. We will drive sustainability within the district by continuing to progress through the Sustainable NJ certification program. The realized savings will allow the district to invest in the students for the long term.
Somerset Baptist Church
9 Pershing Avenue Somerset NJ 08873
Somerset Bible Baptist Church
(Colossians 1:18)
- Through worshipping the Lord Jesus as God
- Through the Lord Jesus being the focal point of our church
(Matthew 22:38)
- Through Bible preaching
- Through Christ-honoring music
(Acts 2:41)
- Through membership into our church family
- Through fellowship with other believers
(II Timothy 2:15)
- Through the Discipleship Program
- Through Adult Bible Classes
- Through Sunday School Classes
(Psalm 100:2)
- Through various ministry opportunities
(Psalm 126:5,6)
- Through Christians sharing the Gospel weekly
- Through helping to support the starting of new churches
- Through a world wide missions program
We Exist To…
EXALT the Lord Jesus Christ
(Colossians 1:18)
- Through worshipping the Lord Jesus as God
- Through the Lord Jesus being the focal point of our church
ENERGIZE people to love God with all their hearts
(Matthew 22:38)
- Through Bible preaching
- Through Christ-honoring music
EMBRACE them into our church family
(Acts 2:41)
- Through membership into our church family
- Through fellowship with other believers
EDUCATE them in Bible Doctrines and Christian living
(II Timothy 2:15)
- Through the Discipleship Program
- Through Adult Bible Classes
- Through Sunday School Classes
ENCOURAGE them to be involved in ministry service
(Psalm 100:2)
- Through various ministry opportunities
EVANGELIZE Somerset county and the regions beyond with the Gospel of Jesus Christ
(Psalm 126:5,6)
- Through Christians sharing the Gospel weekly
- Through helping to support the starting of new churches
- Through a world wide missions program
42 Cedar Grove Lane Somerset NJ 08873
Somerset Presbyterian Church
100 JFK Blvd. Somerset NJ 08873
SS. Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Church
285 Hamilton St. Somerset 08873
St. Matthias Catholic Church
St. Matthias, located in the Somerset section of Franklin Township, New Jersey, is a relatively young parish, tracing its history to only 1962. It was founded when the population of Somerset grew too large to be accommodated by nearby parishes.
The area to become Franklin Township was settled by the Dutch who recognized the potential of the fertile farmland nearly 300 years ago. St. Peter’s Parish, in nearby New Brunswick, was established in 1829 to meet the needs of the growing Catholic population and served the area well for many years.
The area’s population boomed in 1840 when hundreds of workers arrived to build the canal, which was to run through the New Brunswick area. Coming from various parts of Europe, those workers and their families represented diverse ethnic origins and religious backgrounds. The canal and the company that built it changed the face of the countryside by bringing in many industries and the people needed to support them.
By 1880, the Catholic population had increased significantly, so that the necessity of establishing a Catholic parish in Franklin Township became evident. Accordingly, the first Catholic parish in the township, St. Joseph’s, was established in the East Millstone section in 1883. More Catholic churches were built over the years as the growth of the population in nearby towns warranted. St. Peter’s Church in New Brunswick, the oldest, became the largest parish in the area, with residents of Franklin Township attending Mass and receiving sacraments in that parish church.
Throughout the 20th century, St. Peter’s continued to grow. It had reached such a size that on June 8, 1962, the most Rev. George W. Ahr, Bishop of Trenton, circumscribed a section of the parish and established the parish of St. Matthias within it, naming Father William McKenna the first pastor.
Our patron, Saint Matthias knew Jesus in His public ministry and worked tirelessly for the Faith. St. Matthias replaced Judas, the apostle turned traitor through an election by the eleven other apostles. He was put to death for his preaching about Christ after converting many to Christianity.
First Masses at Hillcrest School
Because no church building existed, the first two Masses of St. Matthias parish were celebrated at Hillcrest School on June 17, 1962, with Henry Haase and Cullen Smith assisting Father McKenna as altar servers. As Sunday Masses at the school were overcrowded, it was deemed necessary to change the temporary place of worship. Beginning on July 1, three Masses were celebrated each Sunday in the auditorium of Franklin High School. Assisting Father McKenna were Fathers James Sadowsky, S.J. and Leo Hombach, S.J., both of Fordham University in the Bronx, NY.
The first recorded Baptisms in the parish were those of Cynthia Lynn Bacon, Patricia Ann Downey, Laura Doyle and Lisa Schillen, who were baptized by Fr. McKenna on July 8, 1962. Baptisms were held after Sunday Masses at the high school. All the rites of passage in the parish were finally recorded with the first funeral, which was that of Alphonse Pino on July 28, held at St. Peter’s.
The church and grade school buildings were constructed in 1964 and opened for use in 1965. The early staff comprised Sister Mary Janice, R.S.M. principal, and eight faculty members — four Sisters of Mercy and four lay teachers.
Thirty years later— in 1996 — an addition to house Pre-K and kindergarten classes along with a state-of-the art library and a parish meeting room were added to serve the 2700 families enrolled at St. Matthias. The new facility was dedicated on November 2, 1996. Presiding at the ceremony was the Most Rev. Vincent De Paul Breen, bishop of Metuchen, the diocese in which St. Matthias parish is a part.
Continued Growth
Since its founding in 1962, The Catholic Community of St. Matthias has grown in population and in services. As of October 2003, the parish comprises approximately 3000 households and offers more than 60 ministries through which parishioners can contribute their time, talent and treasure as well as gain personal spirituality and general enrichment.
Below are some facts about this energetic parish
* The first class was graduated from St. Matthias School (SMS) in 1970
* A member of the class of ’73 – Joseph Celano – was ordained in 1997 and is now pastor at St. Bernard’s Church in Bridgewater, NJ.
* Lay Eucharistic ministers began serving in 1975
* The popular spring carnival has been held for every year since 1987.
* SMS received Middle States Accreditation in 1991
* The rectory was converted to parish offices in 1994
* The annual picnic was first held in 1997
* A Technology Trot has been held annually since 1998 to raise money for the technology development of SMS
* During Hurricane Floyd in 1999, St. Matthias served as an evacuation site
* SMS was named National School of Excellence and received the Blue Ribbon Award in 2001
* The library was renamed the John M. Collins memorial Library in 2001 to commemorate John Collins, a graduate of SMS and a New York City firefighter who died during the 9/11 attack on New York
* St. Matthias was the 2002 recipient of The Archbishop Thomas J. Murphy Memorial Parish Stewardship Award
* Parishioners show their generosity by donating food to the Franklin Food Bank on the first Sunday of each month
* The first St. Matthias parish directory was published in 2002 – the 40th anniversary of the community
* An annual golf tournament is held each fall to benefit SMS
* As of 2004, the parish has two new deacons — Russ Demkovitz and Helmut Wittreich; joining Deacon Steve Holzinger ’94, Deacon John Radvanski ’98 and Deacon Ron Caimi ’98
168 JFK Blvd. Somerset NJ 08873
St. Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church & Rectory
We are Saint Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church located in Somerset, New Jersey. The Church is at the corner of Franklin Boulevard and Easton Avenue. Our mailing address is: 7 Reeve Street, Somerset, NJ 08873. You can reach us by telephone at 732.828.2055 or by email at: yamarsharbel@gmail.com. Our pastor is Rev. Tony K. Akoury and our Sub-Deacon is Rev. Joseph Chebli. All information pertaining to our religious education of children and organizations may be found here on our website: http://www.saintsharbel.net. Our church bulletin will be published monthly for your convenience. Please stop by our website as often as you wish to keep up to date on news and events at Saint Sharbel.
12 Reeve Street Someset NJ 08873
Raleigh Steinhauer
Township Resident Since: 1982
Employment: Attorney at Law
What is the single biggest issue facing your constituents, and what is your plan to address it:
There are many issues plaguing the Township at the moment including, but not limited to, crime, high taxes, traffic, lack of business generation, and overdevelopment. However, before we can fully address those issues we must first re-establish integrity, sound judgment, and high ethical standards in our government.
Recently, on the Council we have witnessed a serious decline in judgment, ethics, and integrity. This was particularly evident in the well-publicized issue regarding Councilman Rajiv Prasad’s malicious attacks against a grass roots citizen’s movement opposed to overdevelopment in the Township. Prasad attempted to intimidate and silence these well-intended residents by calling for the Township attorney to bring legal action against them and actively seeking the FBI to investigate them as a “neo-Nazi hate and crime” organization, without any evidence whatsoever. The fact that this was permitted to occur while others on Council and wielding political power in the Township knew and stayed silent, to the point of facilitating a cover up, is indicative of a serious lack of ethics, judgment, and integrity in our current government.
This kind of behavior can never, ever, be allowed to occur again, and to ensure that it does not we must change the culture that allowed it to occur in the first place. A good start would be the re-establishment of the Township’s Ethics Committee, which was disbanded several years ago. This bi-partisan Committee composed of unelected Township residents would provide some much needed accountability and oversight of our government.
However, at the end of the day, the only real way to truly solve this problem is to ensure that our representatives are individuals of integrity, high moral character, and sound judgment. Something which can only be accomplished by the residents of the Township inside the voting booth.
Why should people vote for you:
As an attorney, I fight and advocate for people every single day of my life. And as a lifetime resident of Franklin, I would treasure the opportunity to fight and advocate for the people of the Township that I grew up in and love. As such, I have both the skill set and the desire to see Franklin reach its fullest potential.
Unlike my opponents, I will listen to the people of Franklin and fight for their interests and not simply those of a few well connected individuals and special interests. And unlike my opponents, I am firmly committed to putting Franklin first, and not political party.
Born and raised in Franklin, I am and remain fully invested in this community. To that end, my wife and I recently had our first child, a son, and I want to ensure that Franklin is the best possible place for him to grow up in.
In sum, I am asking for your vote on November 3rd because I love this Township and I am absolutely committed to making it the very best place to live.
Howell Streger
- I am concerned about the very high real estate taxes that we are paying. We have reached a point where the taxes will restrict overall growth in our community. I suggest that a comprehensive study be initiated to determine what alternate sources of revenue are available to our community to offset reductions in real estate taxes. …
Experience: Director and Treasurer, Somerset Run Home Owners Association, Chairman Somerset Run Audio/Visual Committee
Issues:
- I am concerned about the very high real estate taxes that we are paying. We have reached a point where the taxes will restrict overall growth in our community. I suggest that a comprehensive study be initiated to determine what alternate sources of revenue are available to our community to offset reductions in real estate taxes. For example, we can combine municipal programs such as EMS to reduce costs and possible receive financial help from the state. This should be accomplished as part of a comprehensive plan for all of Somerset County.
- Our wetlands need maintenance. While it was interesting to set the wetlands aside from real estate development this has caused unintended problems. The land is now about 17 years old. There are dead trees falling on private property thereby endangering the lives and safety of residents. I suggest that the state legislature amend the laws to allow effective maintenance of the wetlands. For example, invasive species of insects have invaded local wetlands. They need to periodically be sprayed to prevent diseases from spreading to humans. Other methods should also be studied to see what methods can be implemented to provide a healthy environment for people and nature.
- It’s deer season again. This means that the large deer population in Somerset will be running into populated areas before winter is here. This presents a danger to drivers and deer alike. When a deer is injured or killed in an automobile accident it must be removed by animal control personal. Similarly, EMS must be called to assess injured people. This is costly and life threatening. I suggest a study be implemented to see how to reduce the deer population in a humane manner.
Temple Beth El
Some people choose a synagogue because they seek meaningful spiritual activity and guidance; some because they want to make Jewish friends for themselves and their children; some because they wish to pass the traditions of Judaism along to their children through religious education. Whatever your reason, we invite you to consider Temple Beth El of Somerset. Since its inception, Temple Beth El has furthered the ideals of Conservative Judaism by providing its members with a variety of religious, educational, social and cultural services. Its proudest achievement is the creation and continuous nurturing of a warm, caring congregation, spanning all age groups and finding in Judaism the basis for rich, fulfilling lives. A vibrant congregation guided by a young, energetic rabbi, Temple Beth El is small enough to know every member and large enough to provide a full range of Jewish activities. Temple Beth El of Somerset is affiliated with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, the parent body of Conservative congregations in the United States. Founded in January 1963, the Temple then moved to its present location on Hamilton Street.
1489 Hamilton St. Somerset NJ 08873
Shepa Uddin
Experience
If incumbent, how many years have you served: I was appointed in Feb 2021, so have been working on council for about 9 months.
If not, have you held any elected position before, and if so, what:
Membership in any civic organizations:
Issues
What do you see as your three top issues, and how do you plan on dealing with them:
While many factors in the current increase in the cost of living are beyond local control, I am determined to provide relief where we can. I’m proud of the fact that we kept Municipal Tax Rate stable this year while still providing the same level of services. I’m committed to continuing to do “more with less” in the future. I would like to see us continue to improve upon our current level of maintenance of Township infrastructure and with more people working remotely, continue to upgrade our parks.
Additionally, we also need to further our outreach. Communication has been more visible, and information being publicized more frequently on our social media platform and alert system. Transparency and open government are crucial because local government only works if there is open communication. I have been meeting with residents whether it’s by zoom, Webex, call, or in person (social distance and mask on!) to listen to their concerns, feedback, and in return collaborate with the appropriate departments to get them answers or solutions to the best of our ability.
Shepa Uddin , Ward 2
Ukrainian Orthodox Church
135 Davidson Ave. Somerset NJ 08873
United Methodist Church, East Millstone
6 Elm Street East Millstone NJ 08873 USA
James Vassanella
- Maintaining and upgrading our infrastructure, especially as it relates to our water system, roads and sidewalks, traffic and pedestrian safety, and Township parks and community centers is a high priority. I believe Council has done a very good job dealing with this responsibility. I am very active on the Council Public Works Committee and will continue to be proactive monitoring current efforts and implementing new initiatives. I will work to make our infrastructure solid and safe for the short and long term. I will continue to be an advocate for the 5th Ward, as we are the most densely populated Ward and are greatly affected by all aspects of infrastructure. One example of us being proactive in this area is having a Township wide technical review of all aspects of our roadways by objective outside experts. This will provide Franklin with relevant data, a blueprint of sorts, that will be very helpful in planning future infrastructure projects and appropriations. That review will likely be done over the next few months.
- Continued fiscal responsibility that keeps our taxes stable and provides the many quality services our residents deserve, is one of the most important functions of Municipal government. Council has not raised Municipal taxes in the last four years and has maintained the many services we provide to residents. I have much experience dealing with Municipal budgets. I will continue to use my experience and extensive knowledge of Municipal budgeting to make sure every dollar we spend, is spent wisely. I will continue to look for ways to improve and expand the vast array of services we provide. Some new initiatives I have been working on in this area include, a yearly township wide residential bulk pick-up and a new customer service system that better tracks residents’ inquiries and provides timely, accurate responses, and more ways that the Township can provide services to the elderly and handicapped.
- We need to continue to preserve open space in Franklin. Council has done a great job with preserving hundreds of acres of land over the last decade. I have been very active on the Council Land Use Committee. This Committee, along with many other responsibilities, conducts extensive reviews of opportunities and proposals to preserve land so that it will never be developed. Working closely with our Township Planner and Open Space Consultant, and in conjunction with our Open Space Advisory Board, we make recommendations to the entire Council. Most all of our recommendations and Committee work has resulted in land being preserved and void of any future development. Using my comprehensive understanding of the physical landscape of Franklin Twp. and my knowledge of how local land preservation works, I will continue to look for every opportunity to preserve land from being developed. We need to continue to implement policies that makes sure the quality of life for our residents, remain our highest priority. We need to minimize new commercial and residential development while being supportive of our existing businesses and residential neighborhoods.
