PACKET EDITORIAL, April 13
The unsolicited wisdom of long-time political observers around town suggests that for actual competition in Princeton you should visit a ball field, not a polling place. The only suspense that Republicans have brought to recent borough and township municipal elections has been over whether or not they would be able to field a complete slate of candidates.
Democrats are so accustomed to ruling the roosts in both Princeton municipalities that they sometimes make local government look like a family business occasionally subject to arguments in which contending "cousins" agree only that the details are none of the public’s affair.
That seems to have been the case in the sorry saga of the library parking fiasco a textbook example of how intelligent and seemingly well-intentioned elected officials can go off the rails when left to their own devices for too long.
That is why we think the surprise announcement this week by Kim Pimley that she is challenging borough Mayor Mildred Trotman in the June Democratic primary is a healthy development for Princeton regardless of the outcome.
In the absence of a Republican challenger for Mayor Trotman, Ms. Pimley’s candidacy at least promises a public debate about the borough’s handling of major issues, including the lagging downtown development project and the future of the current University Medical Center site.
Describing Mayor Trotman as "a very dedicated public official," Ms. Pimley seems intent on a civil but spirited public discussion, one she predicts will be good for both her party and Princeton, regardless of the outcome. "If Mildred wins, she has a mandate and if I win, we needed a change," Ms. Pimley said, in an interview with The Packet on Wednesday.
It remains to be seen whether the most compelling vision for the borough will be offered by Ms. Pimley or Mayor Trotman. But we certainly endorse the prospect of a real debate.
Even healthier for Princeton would be the added energy of a truly competitive Republican Party. There were some hopeful signs of that this week. The GOP is fielding a full slate of candidates for seats on the Borough Council and Township Committee: Linda Sipprelle and Joe Codega vs. borough incumbents Roger Martindell and Andrew Koontz and Esther Mills and Cindy Randazzo vs. township Mayor Phyllis Marchand and Committeeman Lance Liverman.
Both Ms. Pimley and the Republicans vow to stress openness and transparency in government. It will be interesting to see whether some of the incumbents in borough and township government realize how much they had to do with making that issue such an inviting target for the challengers.