Admitting to Anything But Retirement, Committeewoman Casts Final Vote

Matt Hersh

As she cracked a smile and left no room for guessing when she said she was far from retirement, Karen C. "Casey" Hegener cast her final vote as a member of Township Committee Monday night. Capping off her first and, so far, only three-year term on Committee, Ms. Hegener, a Democrat, said she would tend to her personal life after a stint in the municipal spotlight.

Ms. Hegener's term is set to expire on December 31. Committeeman-elect Lance Liverman, a Democrat, will take her place on Sunday, January 2, at noon at the Township's annual re-organization meeting.

During her term, the Ober Road resident served as the Committee liaisons to the Princeton Alcohol & Drug Alliance, the school board, the Flood Control Committee, Historic Preservation Commission, and the Joint Recreation Board Princeton Task Force on Community Resources.

"Casey Hegener has worked for the Princeton Community while striving to maintain its quality of life," Township Mayor Phyllis Marchand said Monday night. "We've admired her determination and careful attention to all issues and challenges."

"But we know it's not going to be a retirement," said Mayor Marchand, joking that Committee has already discussed where the retiring Committeewoman would preside in municipal government next year.

Ms. Hegener valued her experience in municipal government, saying it gave her "a new-found respect for the people that gather day after day, week after week, trying to exert some...judgement on issues that you think will never, ever come to any kind of conclusion, but they do, because people work so hard."

She said she would run again in a "flash" if she had the chance.

Her final vote was a "yea" vote for an ordinance concerning dog vaccinations. Not very glamorous, but oftentimes, neither is municipal government.

Her successor, Witherspoon Street resident Lance Liverman, heads up Liverman Associates, a real estate venture. The vice chairman of the Princeton Human Services Commission, he is a trustee on the Princeton Community Village Housing Board and the Arts Council of Princeton's Neighborhood Advisory Board.