Edwin Schmierer named New Jersey municipal attorney of the year.
By: David Campbell
Princeton Township Attorney Edwin Schmierer has been named municipal attorney of the year by The New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys, an association of the state’s municipal and local government lawyers.
The Fred G. Stickel Memorial Award, which recognizes distinguished service to local government and the legal profession, was presented to Mr. Schmierer at the New Jersey State League of Municipalities annual conference held last week in Atlantic City.
"He’s just a genuine gentleman and professional," NJILGA President Edward J. Buzak, who presented the award last week, said Tuesday. "You will find no finer professional than Ed Schmierer."
The award was established to honor a member of the state bar who has demonstrated excellence in the field of public-sector law and contributed time and effort to advance the interest of municipal law, according to NJILGA.
But more important, Mr. Buzak continued, it recognizes service above and beyond just representing clients, such as outstanding community service, assistance to community organizations and fellow lawyers and testifying before the state Legislature.
Mr. Schmierer spent a considerable amount of time working on impact-fee legislation with former Sen. William Schluter with an eye toward unburdening taxpayers by obtaining authorization for municipalities to impose impact fees on developers, the NJILGA president said.
League Executive Director William Dressel called Mr. Schmierer one of the premier municipal attorneys in the state.
Mr. Dressel said the lawyer has excelled in the areas of land use and affordable housing, adding that his involvement as chairman of the league’s impact-fee study committee "went a long way in selling the McGreevey administration in making impact fees an integral part of the governor’s smart-growth initiative."
Princeton Township Deputy Mayor William Enslin said he and fellow township officials were delighted with the award.
"We always knew he was the best," Mr. Enslin said. "We’re delighted and very proud."
Mr. Schmierer is an attorney with the firm Mason, Griffin & Pierson. He has been the township’s attorney since 1980, and was Princeton Borough’s attorney from 1980 to 1983. He also serves as the attorney for Hopewell Township, the Pennington Borough Planning Board, the West Windsor Township Zoning Board of Adjustment and the East Windsor Municipal Utilities Authority.
"I’m honored," Mr. Schmierer said of receiving the award. "It’s a very nice recognition."
Fred G. Stickel III, after whom the award is named, practiced municipal law for more than 50 years in the state. He was counsel to the League of Municipalities for many years and a preeminent practitioner of municipal law, according to NJILGA.