 Posted: Thu, Apr 2 2009, 12:07 pm EDT Post subject: Is it time for Princetons to consolidate? |
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| Is it time for Princetons to consolidate? Borough, township to meet April 27 to reopen issue
Thursday, April 02, 2009 BY KRYSTAL KNAPP Going back more than 50 years, the Princetons have debated off and on whether they should merge. Some officials are now wondering if, 13 years after consolidation was last defeated, the two towns might change their minds. "There is a general feeling -- at least on the township committee and among some borough council members -- that this is an appropriate time to reexamine the issue," said Princeton Township Mayor Bernard Miller. The Princeton Township Committee and Princeton Borough Council will hold a joint public meeting at 7 p.m. April 27 at the township municipal building to discuss the issue. A representative from the state Department of Community Affairs will be on hand to explain state procedures for consolidation. In light of recent economic conditions, taxes and potential state incentives, consolidation would now have more support, some believe. "Times have changed now," Miller said. "The state has made it easier to consolidate, and we could receive state financial support for the process." Miller said he's willing to push for consolidation even if it costs him his elected post. Miller said the savings from such a move would be significant. The borough and township share more services and have more joint agencies than any other municipalities in the state, he said, but services are duplicated in police, public works, and administrative departments. "Those are big ticket items," he said. At a Democratic club meeting Sunday night, all four borough council primary candidates supported consolidation. "Our town has a unique identity as a small borough that we all cherish," said candidate Jenny Crumiller. "With the right structure and safeguards, it may be possible to combine the borough and township governments while preserving our old-fashioned neighborhoods and vibrant downtown." "You can consolidate without hurting services," said Princeton University sophomore and Princeton native Mendy Fisch, another candidate. "Right now you are paying two police chiefs' salaries of $150,000 each when you could pay just one." Incumbent Councilman Kevin Wilkes suggested that a joint municipality be created with a neighborhood ward system and a designated downtown district to protect the character of both neighborhoods and the downtown area. Opponents have argued that consolidation would change the identity of the borough. A group called Preserve Our Historic Borough worked to defeat the 1996 referendum, characterizing it as an attempt to take over the borough. They have argued that the move would dilute residents' voting power, and that the two municipalities already share services and could share more operations. Council President Andrew Koontz said he's concerned the borough might lose its character. He adds, "The cost savings are obviously there, but they are not the considerable cost savings one would see from merging two municipalities that don't already share services. We already share a number of services." The Princetons have been debating whether they should merge since 1953, when the first joint consolidation study commission was appointed. Consolidation was defeated by the voters in both the borough and the township that year. Another committee looked at the question in 1965, but its members concluded that consolidation was not justified. In 1979, borough residents rejected consolidation by 33 votes. In 1991, about 60 percent of borough voters said "no" even to setting up a study commission. In 1996, after months of study and debate, a recommendation to merge, and a legal battle to keep the issue off the ballot, borough voters defeated the measure once again. http://www.nj.com/news/times/regional/index.ssf?/base/news-16/123864516031630.xml&coll=5 |
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