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Concilman Anbarasan brings community college to Franklin Township
Anbarasan, an ardent Democrat, is currently running for re-election
Councilman At-Large Sivaraman Anbarasan / Supplied
Indian American Councilman At-Large Sivaraman "Ram" Anbarasan has been working to establish a satellite campus of Raritan Valley Community College in Franklin township on Route 27. The facility will soon be ready and is expected to benefit students by by significantly reducing commute time.
Councilman Anbarasan pointed out that many students have to drive far to attend classes at the community college, and that the council has been working for two years to bring classes closer to home. In an interview with New India Abroad, the Councilman said "Our township has a facility at Route 27 that is part of the Franklin Board of Education and the extra classrooms here will be used to conduct the community college classes."
"Having our own space is less burden on the cost and we are offering this facility free to the community college that will run limited programs," he explained. Anbarasan is currently campaigning for his re-election and in his interaction with NIA he maintained that his elected position allows him to do good in the community. “I always listen to people who come to me presenting their problems and make sure that I am available to help them”.
Speaking on the achievements in the current term, Anbarasan said that his town, with over 69000 people, is the largest in Somerset County and highly diverse. "The town has a population growth rate that is slightly higher than New Jersey’s growth rate. A lot of people are moving in and ours is one of the very few municipalities in New Jersey with a high reserve balance. The town 's budget is $ 65 million and more than one-third of this is a reserve balance," he elaborated.
He went on to say that in the past eight years, taxes have been raised only twice, and that the government has instead prioritized enhancing the taxable base. The township is exceedingly pro-business and development friendly, the Councilman, who is also the Deputy Mayor of Franklin said adding that the its asset value had increased by nearly $13 billion due to the construction of new enterprises and warehouses.
A native of the Ramanathapuram district of Tamil Nadu, Anbarasan came to the US in 1980 as an IT professional. Later, he established a prosperous IT business, which he sold to a publicly traded corporation in 2001. Since then, has been involved in American politics for close to two decades. Through his off-the-radar involvement in election campaigns, fund-raising events, and other party labor, he has risen through the ranks of the political establishment. When the party approached him upon his retirement from employment in 2019, he did not hesitate to accept and contest a position that became vacant.
Anbarasan, an ardent Democrat, was always intrigued by Bill Clinton. "The way he helped the economy grow, and his administration style fascinated me" If re-elected, he pledges to reduce taxes and devote more resources to protecting the township's open spaces and increasing public safety by bolstering the police force.
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