I wanted to share some news with the community, and also a bit more of the back story.
I originally got involved in elected service in Hopewell Township in 2014 when I was enraged by the proposed PennEast pipeline, which would have carved a 120-mile gash through our Township and other preserved farmlands, open space, parks, and residential communities all up and down the Delaware River watershed.
I helped spearhead the fight against PennEast as Mayor from 2016-18 and subsequently as a Committee member. Thankfully, after we fought PennEast at the NJ DEP and all the way to the US Supreme Court, the backers of the pipeline closed the project.
Despite ½ billion dollars in cumulative investment by PennEast, we won.
That demonstrates the power of what we can accomplish as a community, and also the power of working collaboratively with neighboring communities and our partners in County, State and Federal government.
When I started on the Committee I also wanted to help strengthen the Township’s financial position. Building on my experience managing large, $1 billion+ budgets in the corporate world and also much smaller budgets for our Church and Homeowners Association in SC, I was hopeful I could contribute.
Collectively, we have significantly reduced the rate of tax increases (to low single digits, and most recently delivered two years in a row of municipal tax reductions).
Township debt has come down steadily since 2014, and we are now receiving significant new revenues through PILOTs, including over $9 million in new revenues just this year.
Net, the Township’s finances are stronger today than they were a decade ago, and we are poised to make additional gains in the years ahead.
Importantly, recent budgets also invest back in our community, funding new amenities at Woolsey Park and contributing to required investments in our Schools and Fire District, as our community grows.
After 12 years of serving, I felt it was time to step back and make room for someone new in Township leadership. Serving on the Township Committee is not a lifetime appointment, and I look forward to what we can achieve together as a community in the years ahead, building upon the strong foundation we have established. We have a strong, experienced Township Committee and fresh insights and energy will complement the existing team.
I feel the Township is in a better place than when I was first elected.
On a personal level, this change will enable me to spend more time day-to-day with the small business I am a partner in, as it grows and expands. My wife and I are also looking forward to some travel and spending more time with our family in New Jersey, and our son, daughter-in-law and grandson in North Carolina.
There are many elements of the job I will miss, most notably helping members of the community, but I will be glad to step back from the many hours I spend prepping for and participating in meetings each month.
Looking ahead, I intend to remain actively engaged in Hopewell Township, including serving out my current term. If there’s something I can help with, please feel free to reach out to me.
Thank you for your support, trust and friendship over these past years. All the best,
Kevin D. Kuchinski
Kuchinski is a member of the Hopewell Township Committee
