The six Democrats running for two seats on the Princeton Council are a month away from the June 5 primary, in a contest that historically has decided who eventually gets elected to the governing body.
Eve Niedergang, Adam Bierman, Michelle Pirone Lambros, Alvin McGowen, Surinder Sharma and Dwaine Williamson sat side-by-side in a final candidates forum May 1 and spent about 90 minutes weighing in on topics such as affordable housing, municipal finances, relations between the council and the Princeton school district and other local issues.
In terms of bringing more revenue into the municipal budget, Williamson said he would look to what local nonprofit organizations contribute in the form of payments in lieu of taxes (PILOT). He pointed to Princeton University, which pays taxes on some of its properties and makes an annual voluntary contribution to the municipality.
Williamson said the university has a “moral obligation, as a citizen of our town” to pay “their fair share” of PILOTs. He did not specify an amount he believes the university should be giving.
Bierman touched on properties the municipality owns, including the Chestnut Street firehouse and others, that could be rehabilitated, rented or sold. He also raised the prospect of exploring cutting spending from the municipal budget.
Pirone Lambros said Princeton needs more retail and commercial investment, a way to add more tax revenue.
Sharma, describing himself as fiscally conservative, proposed cutting taxes by 5 percent and holding the line on the budget. This year the municipality has a $64 million budget that does not raise taxes.
McGowan said a lot of people believe the middle class is “threatened” in Princeton.
In terms of the local economy, Niedergang said the town needs to attract start-up companies and “sexy kinds of businesses people want to patronize.”
“I think that would really revive the downtown economy and also provide additional revenue for the town,” she said.
In offering his views on where new affordable housing should be built, McGowan said those units should not be confined to one neighborhood.
Niedergang echoed that view by saying affordable housing “needs to be spread throughout the community.” She gave examples of where she had in mind, such as Nassau, Harrison and Witherspoon streets, and the Riverside School section of town.
“I don’t think the burden (of affordable housing) can fall solely on one community,” she said.
Sharma has proposed using sites the municipality owns, including putting a mixed-use development on the parking lot next to the Witherspoon Hall building.
Pirone Lambros talked about the expansion of Princeton University, which she said is looking to add more undergraduate students and grow its campus. She said the expansion is “going to happen rapidly” and said municipal officials need “to get a handle on how that’s going to look and what we want Princeton to look like in the future.”
The candidates were asked whether the council should have input on decisions the Princeton Board of Education makes.
Niedergang said she did not think it was “the council’s place to interfere,” but she called it “important” that school officials should use “their money wisely.”
Williamson said a proposed school facilities bond referendum that is projected to cost $129.8 million is “stirring a lot of emotions in town.”
Pirone Lambros called the schools the “backbone of our community,” but she pointed to concerns that members of the public have about the referendum.
“I think right now I’m getting the feeling from other community members that they’re not happy with what is happening with the referendum because they’re not understanding where the projections are coming from in terms of the increases, what the numbers are concerning Cranbury, and exactly how the money is going to be spent,” she said.
All six Democrats are running for elected office for the first time. They are bidding to replace Democrats Lance Liverman and Heather H. Howard, who are not seeking re-election. There are six seats on the council, all held by Democrats.
The League of Women Voters forum took place in the council meeting room in the Witherspoon Hall municipal building, a place the candidates eventually want to wind up in as members of the governing body in January.
Democratic Mayor Liz Lempert attended the event. Lempert said afterward she is remaining publicly neutral in the contest.
The only Republican running for council, Lisa Wu, attended the forum and sat next to Princeton GOP Chairman Dudley Sipprelle. In a brief interview afterward, Wu said she attended the event to “listen” and “learn.”
Democrats have an edge in voter registration and the Democratic primary often serves as an indicator of who will win in the general election.
In response to a question from the moderator, Bierman said he favors having nonpartisan elections the way neighboring West Windsor does. He said nonpartisan contests have helped to increase voter turnout in other communities.
“I’ve said it before, potholes don’t really care what party you are,” he said.
Williamson disagreed with Bierman and said, “I think the party system is an efficient system. The party system does allow us to come together (and) talk about what is best for our communities … ”
On the environmental front, Niedergang proposed changing trash collection to a “pay as you throw” model in which residents would pay based on the amount of trash they throw out.