Joanna Dougherty, Princeton
On a recent Saturday afternoon, I saw Jenny Crumiller’s husband, Jon, at Ace Hardware. He mentioned that they had participated in the Let It Go: Princeton Community Yard Sale and that Jenny had decided not to charge for anything. I immediately asked jokingly if they had put up a sign saying “Free stuff! Vote for Jenny!” We then agreed that there is no such thing as “free stuff,” and went our separate ways.
This brief conversation reminded me why we need to re-elect Jenny to Princeton Council. “The truth is there is no free parking. Someone has to pay for it,” Jenny said at a council meeting in September 2015 during a discussion of the costs to the town of providing a subsidy for two hours of free parking to every Princeton Public Library cardholder.
Princeton Council is currently reviewing the budget, looking for ways to cut $150,000 so as to pare down an increase in property taxes.
Residents should be aware that only about 23 cents of every dollar collected in property taxes goes to the town. The Princeton School Board controls the lion’s share of our tax dollars, more than 50 percent and growing, and Mercer County gets the remainder. The largest increases in property taxes are beyond the control of Princeton Council.
We need a frank assessment of the choices available to residents, and Jenny will provide just that. She has an impeccable record of supporting progressive values — visit jennycrumiller.com to read what she has done for Princeton and what her goals are for the future — but we also need the unvarnished and sometimes unpopular truths that Jenny is willing to articulate.
Jenny will help us make budget decisions that support our values and get us the most for our money. She will listen to us, tell us the truth, and do her best to make wise decisions for our future. Vote to reelect Jenny Crumiller to Princeton Council!
Joanna Dougherty
Princeton
