Dear Cranbury Residents,

I hope your January went well.  It’s a cold, dark month, but spring is just a few weeks away!  While I do enjoy the snow, I’ve also enjoyed not having ice and salt and slush to deal with this year.

2023 Budget Meeting. The Township Committee held our annual Budget Meeting on Saturday, January 21.  At that meeting, we reviewed capital and operating expenses, and agreed to keep taxes flat for 2023.  We also agreed to use approximately one million dollars in operating funds to cover capital road improvements planned for 2023, reducing future debt obligations for taxpayers. The township has not raised municipal taxes since 2016, and municipal taxes are approximately 20% of your overall tax bill. Look forward to seeing a resurfaced Plainsboro Road and a new walking path in Village Park this year!  We also agreed to update the 2007 Open Space Inventory as a basis to plan future community needs, including exploring Pickleball courts and more-inclusive playgrounds.

Coffee with the Mayor. Thanks for all who joined me and Deputy Mayor Eman El-Badawi at our January 14 Coffee with the Mayor at the new public library.  Great discussions and questions and we look forward to further sessions throughout the year. We welcome your feedback and questions.

Bike Safety Reminder. Please remind your young bikers that pedestrians have the right-of-way on sidewalks, and they should use the road (and wear a helmet!) for safe bike riding. Please review this NJ bike safety guide.

Recycling Schedule.  The 2023 recycling schedule was revised.  Please remember to only include clean containers (no pizza boxes), and only include #1 and #2 plastics (#5s are not accepted).  “When in doubt, throw it out” is the best rule --- no aspirational recycling, as dirty or unacceptable items can cause the whole lot to be discarded at our recycling processing center.

Cranbury School Kindergarten Registration for the 2023-2024 school year is officially open! If your child will be 5 years old by October 1, 2023 please complete online registration for your child. In addition, be sure to notify Denise Marra at [email protected].

New Jersey Broadband Survey. If you’d like your voice heard in how internet service is provided to Cranbury, please feel free to fill-out the State’s broadband survey to provide your opinion.

Cranbury Station – Call for Pictures and Paraphernalia.  The Historic Preservation Commission is requesting that any residents who might have photos, documentation, tickets, sale receipts, or any other paraphernalia from the Cranbury Station’s working days andoperations to please contact Susan Ryan at [email protected].

Upcoming Events/Dates to Remember:

TODAY (January 31) – Last Day for Dog/Cat Licenses. All township cats and dogs must be licensed annually during by January.  Late fees are assessed starting February 1. Failure to obtain a license by March 1 will result in a summons, and by April 1 a court-mandatory summons will be issued. Procrastinators – your time is now!

February 4 – Chinese New Year Celebration.  This Saturday will be the return of a beloved community event. This event was last held in 2014 and 2015 when the organizers raised over $45,000 for the new library building.  This year’s event is not a fundraiser, but a fun celebration with food, music and events. Learn more and join us!

February 13 – De-Mystifying Local Government.  Flex your civic muscle and attend this riveting session about how our municipal government operates to serve you. 7:00 pm in Town Hall as part of the regular Township Committee meeting

April 24-30 - Cranbury School’s 125th Anniversary.  A full week of in-school activities for students and weekend of community-wide events.  See this page for more information and please hold the weekend of April 28-30 for events and community-wide celebrations.  

May 7 – Tour de Cranbury. Cranbury Troop 52B Life Scout Tyler Cenci is organizing a two-tier bike tour of our town as his Eagle Project. One route will be a 10-mile path around town, and there will also be an in-town route for families or beginners.  The event will feature bike safety and different “stations” around town.

Stay warm and I look forward to seeing you around town!

Michael Ferrante

Mayor, Cranbury Township