A 4-2 vote for spending plan with a 5-cent tax increase.
By: Marjorie Censer
The Princeton Borough Council approved the 2005 municipal budget at its meeting Tuesday night with a vote of 4-2. Councilmen David Goldfarb and Roger Martindell dissented.
At the meeting, Mr. Goldfarb said he opposed the budget because the tax rate is too high.
"I think we can accomplish all of our goals with a lower tax rate," he said.
Mr. Martindell said his vote against the budget was intended to indicate his disappointment with the council’s treatment of the library.
"I will not be voting for the budget but against it and for one narrow reason," Mr. Martindell said. "We have little power except through our vote and the way we explain our vote."
He said library officials originally agreed to create an endowment fund to help defray for the borough and Princeton Township operating costs for the library in the future.
The endowment fund has $2 million in cash and another $1.8 million in pledges, said Judy Feldman, the library’s director of development Thursday.
Mr. Martindell said the borough should negotiate with the library to establish when money from the endowment will become available.
"Not only did we not get a commitment, we didn’t even ask or insist on a dialogue starting as to when the monies will be available, and we have no idea at what level they’ll be available," Mr. Martindell added.
Councilwoman Wendy Benchley disagreed and praised library officials.
"I think your ‘no’ vote is a slap in the face to them," she said. "We’ve got to give them the flexibility to go out and do this endowment campaign."
In an interview Wednesday, Mr. Martindell emphasized that he does not blame the library.
"The library is here to develop a library," he said. "It is our job as council members to protect the taxpayer."
Mr. Martindell said he would continue to vote against the budget until the library funding was addressed.
The $21.9 million budget requires a 5-cent tax increase to 91 cents per $100 of assessed property value. Under the budget, the owner of a home assessed at the borough average of $347,138 will pay $3,159 in municipal taxes. The total budget decreased slightly, down $230 from last year.
In other business Tuesday, the council approved the monthly report of the borough police. The council members tabled a revised copy of the police department’s rules and regulations.

