Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh of West Windsor
By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR — Financial stability, a family-oriented Recreation Department and a well-run senior citizens center — those were the goals that Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh set for himself when he was elected mayor in 2001.
Many of those goals have been accomplished, Mayor Hsueh said Monday night in his annual State of the Township address. He also took time to honor two volunteers — Barbara Ingram-Edmonds of the Human Relations Council, and Michael Hornsby of the Environmental Commission.
On the open space and recreation front, Mayor Hsueh said, nearly half of West Windsor Township has been preserved as open space. It has improved the quality of life in the township by preventing hundreds of additional housing units to be built, while allowing the township to expand and upgrade its parks.
There are seven parks that provide everything from walking trails to playgrounds to athletic fields and tennis courts, basketball courts, a skate park and dog parks, the mayor said. Another park — the 120-acre Duck Pond Park — is expected to open this year, he said.
A new standard-sized cricket pitch field will be available for public use at West Windsor Community Park later this year, Mayor Hsueh said, and a 26-acre property on Conover Road will be developed for youth recreational programs.
For the township’s senior citizens, there is the Senior Center at the Municipal Complex, Mayor Hsueh said. The building has doubled in size since it was opened in 1989, and it has become a focal point for the seniors as it offered 40 on-going programs and activities plus 34 special, one-time programs last year.
“The importance of the Senior Center goes beyond the recreational aspect. It is a ‘service delivery network,’ meeting (their) needs. It is designated as a ‘resource center’ for residents in emergency situations,” he said, adding that it is equipped with an emergency generator.
While there are different definitions for “senior citizen,” Mayor Hsueh said, West Windsor’s definition is anyone who is at least 55 years old. And don’t be afraid, he quipped, because visitors will find there are plenty of “young” senior citizens.
Mayor Hsueh is especially proud of the financial stability that West Windsor has experienced. The administration has avoided up-and-down spikes in the annual municipal budget “with only a few exceptions because of political contention,” he said. The administration proposes the budget, but Township Council approves it.
The mayor noted that the municipal property tax makes up 15 percent of the entire tax bill. For their municipal property tax dollars, residents received an assortment of services that include garbage pickup, police and fire protection, open space acquisition, yard waste collection and parks and recreation services.
All of those services are provided by a municipal staff of 168 full-time and 16 part-time employees, he said. When he took office, there were 171 full-time employees and 17 part-time employees. In the interim, the township’s population has grown by more than 27 percent.
Wrapping up his remarks, Mayor Hsueh turned to the two volunteers who were being recognized — Barbara Ingram-Edmonds and Michael Hornsby.
Ms. Ingram-Edmonds has served as chairman for six of the 10 years that she has served on the Human Relations Council, he said. She spearheaded several initiatives, including the first community celebration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King.
Ms. Ingram-Edmonds also helped to establish the Interfaith Community Bridge four years ago, which has turned into an independent community organization that tries to bring together diverse faith and community leaders.
Michael Hornsby has served on the Environmental Commission and chaired it for more than 14 years, Mayor Hsueh said. He has led the Green Team in promoting the Sustainable Jersey program in West Windsor, earning Silver Certification from the program in 2010 and 2013 — the highest certification that it offers.
Two initiatives of the Environmental Commission — the opening of the Natural Environmental Education Center, which is part of the West Windsor History Museum at the Schenck Farmstead, and the township’s Climate Action Plan — both earned achievement awards from the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commission.
