Mayor Jim Kownacki may not have grown up in Lawrence, but he’s no stranger to Mercer County and the town he fondly thinks of as his home.

He was raised in South Trenton with four brothers and three sisters, and spent time living in Hamilton and Ewing before eventually settling in his current home.

He finally moved to Lawrence 16 years ago at the suggestion of his wife, Phyllis, after the couple spent 14 years living in Ewing.

“To me, Lawrence is my home. I should have moved here years ago when we got married,” he said.

His involvement in community and township affairs began soon after the move, when he was asked to join the board for the Society Hill development where he lives. Kownacki served nine years on the board.

It wasn’t until 2008 that he set his sights on township office. His first year running on the Democratic ticket, he lost to Bob Bostock, who retired from council at the end of 2011.

“It just got into my blood. I said, ‘OK, I’ll do it again, I’ll give it one more shot,’” Kownacki said.

In 2009, he won his seat on council.

He’s served on the planning board in the positions of alternate up to vice chair, and remains a member now. His past committee membership includes growth and redevelopment, public safety and several other smaller committees. He also serves as the Lawrence Democratic Municipal Chair and has been a member of the Eggert Crossing Civic League for 10 years.

Kownacki has worked for the Ewing Lawrence Sewage Authority for 23 and a half years, and both of his daughters—Traci Camiso, 33, and Jamie Kownacki, 31—graduated from Lawrence High School.

“He’s always built himself as as blue collar worker, which certainly brings a good perspective of the average citizen of the township ... Jim is very thoughtful and will listen thoroughly to all the issues throughly before making a decision,” said councilman Greg Puliti, who most recently served as mayor in 2011.

Township manager Rich Krawczun had worked with Kownacki as a member of planning board and during Kownacki’s term on council, and said he thinks of Kownacki as a man of integrity.

“He says what he means and he means what he says ... He doesn’t pull punches, and he’s a pleasure to work with bc you know exactly where he stands,” Krawczun said.

Most of Kownacki’s goals include working on projects with the rest of the council, but he does have some plans for the next two years. He hoped the township could finally begin a project with the Department of Transportation that would add an island and better lighting to U.S. 1 between Whitehead Road and the Brunswick Circle and eliminate the jughandle at Whitehead Road to create a smoother traffic pattern. Kownacki said he’d also like to see the installation of benches at Eggert Crossing park.

This year brings not only a new mayor, but also a change to the traditional one-year mayoral term. Now, the mayor will serve for two years instead of one, which Kownacki believes will bring multiple benefits, like familiarity and consistency in working with the county and state.

“It’s going to work out better for the township, because with it, you’re going to have a two-year mayor who can work with the state,” Kownacki said. “They’re going to know who it is ... Instead of every year, they just get to know who you are, and now we’ve got a new mayor coming in.”

The longer term will also enable the mayor to complete more projects and focus on the tasks at hand, instead of restarting the process each year.

Puliti cited the same benefits, stating that one year is simply not enough time for a mayor, especially a new mayor, to develop a relationship with the state and township officials and businesses.

“By the time that happens and you get the lay of the land, a year goes by,” Puliti said. “The two-year plan definitely benefits somebody new taking on that role.”

Puliti, who’s known and worked with Kownacki for about 10 years, nominated him for his first term as mayor because he said Kownacki has earned the trust of the council and township members.

“He will listen to people, and he will speak in unison for the council,” Puliti said.

And that’s exactly what Kownacki hopes to do in the next two years. He loves getting feedback from people in the community and expects to continue working with the communities to help them improve.

“I just like giving back to the community,” Kownacki said. “You know, you get out there and you hear it isn’t always negative. And that’s what I like about it. You’re gonna have your, what I call, bruises from people, but it’s not always negative.”