By: Jennifer Potash
The Princetons could merge services – police, fire and public works – but officials say that’s a difficult task without merging the two communities.
The borough, township and Princeton Regional School District agreed to a voluntary review by the state’s Local Government Budget Review office. The reports for the borough and township, presented in the last two weeks, both recommend that the two municipalities reconsider consolidation. Short of that approach, the review suggests the two Princetons combine their police and public works departments, merge the Princeton Public Library with the Mercer County library system and close one firehouse.
Many local officials take the position that since the voters of Princeton Borough rejected consolidation of the two municipalities in 1997, it’s moot to consider merging departments until the voters indicate they want change.
"The voters already decided this," said Township Police Chief Anthony Gaylord.
The state office recommended a 51-person police department, which is 15 fewer officers than the roster of the existing borough and township police departments.
Borough Police Chief Thomas Michaud said he agrees with the state’s recommendation to consolidate the two police departments but only if the borough and township merge as well.
"It’s very difficult to serve two masters at once, and our communities are very different," Chief Michaud said.
Other municipalities in the state have tried unsuccessfully to combine their police operations without merging municipal governments, said Chief Michaud, who is the president of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police.
"It’s not impossible and it has been done in the past," he said. "But they’ve all failed."
Noting the concerns of elected officials in 1996 that a consolidated department could not respond effectively to the two communities, the Local Government Budget Review office report noted that an agreement between the two communities could address the specific service levels and control concerns.
Chief Michaud doesn’t think police response or overall service would decline with a merged department. But the staffing levels recommended by the state would not be enough to meet demand, he said.
If the borough and the township combined their public works operations, the municipalities could save a combined $158,500, according to the report.
But not if the two municipalities have to build a new facility, said Borough Engineer Carl Peters.
"I suspect that would be in the range of millions of dollars," he said.
Neither the borough’s Public Works Department building on Harrison Street nor the township’s on Valley Road is large enough to house all the equipment and staff needed for a joint facility, he said.
The only possible location for a joint department would be the township’s building on River Road, but that is more remote for the borough staff.
"We would save $79,000 a year (with a consolidated department) but you have to factor in the loss in productivity of employees driving an extra five miles just to get to the borough," Mr. Peters said.
Also, the state recommended the Princetons close one of the three fire stations and have two fire companies share the Mercer Engine Company No. 3 building on Witherspoon Street in the township.
As one of the busiest fire departments in Mercer County – Princeton fire departments respond to about 1,000 per year – the closing of a firehouse could make response times longer, said Fire Chief Henry Tamasi.
Merging the Princeton Public Library with the Mercer County library system would save the borough $97,209 and the township $206,570, according to the state report.
The library has historically resisted merging with the county library. Leslie Burger, executive director of the Princeton Public Library, said the county system in New Jersey was set up so municipalities without a library would have access to one, and the Princeton Public Library has been cited as an example of what community libraries should aim for.
In addition, she said, the state was clear in its report that Princeton residents seek a high level of service and are willing to pay for it.
Where possible, she said, the Princeton Public Library could cooperate more with the Mercer County system on services to save money.
Princeton Borough Mayor Marvin Reed said he expects the heads of the borough and joint departments to review the state’s recommendations and be prepared during budget discussions to explain why or why not the suggestions were included in the annual requests.
