By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
Democrat Liz Lempert and Republican Richard Woodbridge, the two mayoral candidates running this fall, both said on Tuesday that they have the ability to lead the consolidated Princeton.
”I think it’s a really important skill for the new mayor to have experience putting together a budget that doesn’t have a tax increase,” said Ms. Lempert during an hour-long joint interview with Mr. Woodbridge at the Princeton Packet office. “And to be able to do that in a way where you’re still investing in important capital projects. Anybody can cut the budget and not have a tax increase and do it in a really irresponsible way.”
Mr. Woodbridge cited his background in government, business and community organizations. He served separate stints as mayor of the township and president of Borough Council.
”I’m used to taking a leadership role in these things and taking the initiative, even when there’s nobody out there,” said Mr. Woodbridge. “So I’m just used to starting things, running things, finishing them and moving on to the next project. That’s what I do.”
The two of them are vying in a historic election to become the first mayor of the merged community. Mr. Woodbridge admits he is the underdog, as Democrats hold a sizable advantage in registered voters.
Ms. Lempert, who advocated for merging the towns, said she is committed to ensuring that consolidation succeeds.
”That means delivering on tax savings, enhanced services and more responsive government,” she said.
”Obviously, everyone’s really excited about all the opportunities, and we can’t do everything in one year,” she said in stressing the need to focus on goals for 2013. “There’s going to be a lot of opportunity because of consolidation for reexamining our zoning laws because we’re going to have to do a comprehensive review of all our ordinances.”
Mr. Woodbridge had endorsed two earlier consolidation efforts, but he did not do so last year because the proposal did not include having a nonpartisan form of government. Mr. Woodbridge, who is downplaying his party affiliation in this race, said he had voted in November for the merger.
”I do believe that going into consolidation, it’s going to be more difficult I think than people realize,” he said. “I think the consolidation goals are going to be a little bit more challenging to achieve.”
As part of his platform, Mr. Woodbridge has called for working with other towns to solve common problems, and said maintenance on public roads and buildings had been put off. He’s called for studying if it makes sense to have a separate parks department.
Ms. Lempert said some of Mr. Woodbridge’s proposals are things that officials already implemented. For example, his call for zero-based budgeting is “something that we’re already doing now,” she said.
In his view, Mr. Woodbridge said there is a lack of energy on the two towns’ governing bodies and cited low turnouts by public officials at recent community events.
”I don’t get the sense of dedication,” he said in calling for “new blood.”
”Honestly,” he said, “I think people are tired of business as usual. I think when you’ve been in a government for a long period of time, you get tired.”Ms. Lempert objected to that characterization.
”I think that this has been a period of tremendous energy,” said Ms. Lempert, a township committeewoman for nearly four years. “And in that period of time, we’ve tackled some of the most seemingly intractable problems with great success.”
In her campaign, Ms. Lempert has proposed forming “advisory planning districts” so that residents can give their input on development projects.
”I think one of the things that we’ve got to think about is adding more boards doesn’t necessarily solve the problem,” Mr. Woodbridge said.
On development, Ms. Lempert said she has “serious concerns” about the AvalonBay project that calls for 280 unit apartments at the former University Medical Center on Witherspoon Street. She said she is disappointed with the design of the project, in what she calls a “massive structure that is cutting off two neighborhoods.”
Mr. Woodbridge held off giving his view on the project until learning more in the coming weeks.
Both candidates were asked their comfort level with borough police Chief David J. Dudeck, who has been recommended to run the consolidated police force, also being the head football coach at the Hun School.
”Keep in mind, there are going to be times when the chief isn’t going to be here anyhow,” Mr. Woodbridge said in reference to vacations and conventions.
”So the $64,000 question in my opinion is are the backup people behind the chief going to be available if there’s a problem,” said Mr. Woodbridge, who felt that they were. “Also, the other question you’ve got to ask yourself is do you want to deprive these people of playing other active roles in the community.”
”If it interferes with his duties,” he added, “then that’s a serious problem.”
Ms. Lempert said police service is one of the concerns people have had about consolidation. She felt the police chief is a “full-time job, and that it’s going to be important to have the leadership there.”
She also addressed the departure of former township police Chief Robert Buchanan, who abruptly retired in March. The township reached a deal for him to leave only days after a top official from the Mercer County’s Prosecutor’s Office, who handles police internal affairs matters, met with the governing body behind closed doors.
”There’s been a lot of assumptions made that those two things were linked, and they weren’t,” she said. “I can’t talk about what happens in executive session.”
Both candidates have spouses who work for Princeton University. Ms. Lempert’s husband, Ken Norman, is an associate psychology professor, while Mr. Woodbridge’s wife, Karen, is the director of community relations.
Ms. Lempert had to face the issue of a having a conflict of interest when she ran in the Democrat primary this year against Borough Councilman Kevin Wilkes. She said then that she would decide whether to recuse herself on university related matters “on a case-by-case basis.”
Mr. Woodbridge offered the same answer.
”What I would do . . . I would ask the town attorney on case-by-case basis, because it really would depend on what the situation was,” he said.
Ms. Lempert, a 43-year-old stay at home mom of two school-age daughters, has lived in Princeton since 2002. The California native graduated from Stanford University, later working as a writer and producer for NPR. Mr. Woodbridge, 68, has the longer history in the community, having gone through the local public school system before entering Princeton University. He served on the governing bodies of the borough and the township. He is a partner in the law firm of Fox Rothchild.

