Township can chart a new course — together
On May 4, the Hopewell Township Committee unanimously approved an ordinance placing a referendum before Hopewell Township voters this November: “Shall a charter commission be elected to study the charter of the Township of Hopewell and to consider a new charter or improvements in the present charter and to make recommendations thereon?”
We are glad to see that our efforts have fostered action by the committee. Chart New Course came together earlier this year because we believe Hopewell Township — growing, diverse, and managing a budget and infrastructure more complex than at any point in its history — deserves a government built for the century we are living in. Motivated by our efforts, the township has opened a formal path to the same destination. We welcome this.
The Faulkner Act’s charter study commission process is a serious one. Five elected members will have the authority to examine every form of government available to New Jersey municipalities, hold public hearings, and make recommendations grounded in community input.
At chartnewcourse.org, we have published a comparison of those governing options — from our traditional township committee form to directly elected mayor structures to council-manager models — and we encourage every resident to explore it.
This path takes longer than a direct petition drive. Any change that emerges from the commission process will reach voters after November 2026 rather than on this year’s ballot.
For a community that has operated under the same governing structure since 1798, another year or two is not an insurmountable wait — but none of it matters if voters don’t approve the referendum this November. That vote will determine whether Hopewell Township enters its next chapter or remains exactly where it started. Chart New Course will participate actively in every step of what comes next.
Chad Goerner, Michael Markulec, Tamera Matteo, Vanessa Sandom and John Hart
