A YES vote will enable residents to better understand where candidates stand on the issues that matter

As published in the Patch Neighbor News

Driving around West Windsor this fall, while enjoying the golden light filtering through foliage, we’re bombarded with lawn signs: Vote YES. Vote NO. A yes vote for the Public Question on November’s ballot will assure transparency in municipal electoral processes.

Three decades ago, West Windsor adopted a nonpartisan system -- unique compared to many surrounding townships and across the nation. However, with West Windsor's population having doubled and its cultural diversity expanded significantly, it’s time to reassess how we elect our leaders. Voting YES will not only reveal candidates' party affiliations but also enhance accountability and democratic engagement.

While there is a strong majority of Democrats in this suburban enclave, as well as many Independents, our local government follows a conservative agenda. The opposition group, the NO coalition, to West Windsor’s Voters for Transparency and Representation, maintain that residents should all work together and not be divided by party lines. Of course we should work together, but what the NO folks do not understand is that a YES vote is about giving voters basic information that helps them better engage and understand the candidates who are running for municipal office.

If voters know the candidate's party, they have a better sense of how the candidate will lead. West Windsor’s current elected officials, albeit committed to community service and our town, have approved the largest warehouse facility in all of New Jersey without heeding the biggest public outcry in our Township’s history, and without engaging in open discourse with leaders in neighboring townships about the development. This decision and the Township’s baseline adherence to the Inland Flood Protection Rule, that was State mandated to update stormwater ordinances, undermine our ability to trust in the decision making of this administration to preserve open space while prioritizing the safety of our constituency. It’s time for electoral change and accountability.

You may wonder, how did these leaders get elected in a Democratic leaning community? Municipal elections are notorious for having low voter turnout due to the nonpartisan system. In the words of U.S. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, who represents West Windsor and surrounding towns, “Research shows nonpartisan elections result in lower turnout, as voters don’t know the candidate’s core values.”

With the demise of local news media, there is little reliable information about the candidates, and without electoral primaries there is no accountability to core principles. Sadly, voters are left with little information that is vetted.

We – a group of longtime West Windsor residents -- are voting YES for better accountability, representation and transparency because we know that a candidate’s allegiance to a party is an indicator of their core ideology -- and from there, we can research the rest. Knowing how a candidate will address issues of land-use, stormwater management, infrastructure, social services, public safety, environmental protections and budget allocations matter to us and we want to select candidates that align with our thinking to create the best for West Windsor.

A YES vote will modernize our local elections by embracing a system that promotes transparency, accountability, and better representation. Please join us in voting YES.

Lynne Azarchi

Ilene Dube

Fauzia Farooqui

Carol Hoffman

Nantanee Koppstein

Suchitra Patel

Arpita Roy

Mark Schlawin

Steve Steinhauser