The vote on the municipal budget that was supposed to take place after a public hearing last Tuesday, May 28, was tabled until June 10. Council considered a proposed budget amendment that would increase the salaries of the mayor and six council members.

Elected officials at the meeting were: Mayor Liz Lempert and council members Jo Butler, Jenny Crumiller, Heather Howard, Lance Liverman, Bernie Miller, and Patrick Simon.

The proposed amendment would increase the total budget allotment for salaries for elected officials from $60,000 to $79,750. The increase would need formal approval as part of a salary ordinance later this year.

Administrator Bob Bruschi pointed out that the amendment was suggested by the administrative staff. He said that the salaries for the hard-working council members should be thought of as stipends to cover costs incurred in the course of their public duties.

Patrick Simon spoke against the amendment and introduced a motion to eliminate the pay increases. “We’ve cut 17 people from staff and we are going to have more discussions about reductions. This is the wrong time to implement raises for elected officials. If we do this now, it will reduce our credibility,” he said, adding that council members knew what the salaries would be when they ran for office.

As recommended by the consolidation commission the amount is equivalent to that paid to members of the Borough Council: $7,500, less than the $10,000 paid to former Township Committee members. “Consolidation included the promise of a reduction in the number of elected officials and a reduction in the cost of our salaries,” said Mr. Simon.

Lance Liverman, who formerly received the Township rate and who therefore took a decrease in salary after consolidation, approved the increase arguing that the current rate is a barrier to some who would serve. “When someone else steps in my shoes, they should not be financially penalized for serving this town,” he said.

Responding to Mr. Liverman, Heather Howard said that if the amount offered to elected officials was not increased then the governing body might end up open only to those of “independent means.”

Jenny Crumiller said that if Princeton wants a diverse council, work for the council should be considered part-time jobs. She spoke of the difficulties of serving while holding down a full-time job. “If this were an actual part-time job with enough of a salary to be considered a source of income, it could displace another job, but now it’s basically a volunteer job.”

Mr. Liverman also pointed out that municipal employees did not have their pay reduced as a result of consolidation, and that he and Councilman Bernie Miller were the only council members whose salaries were reduced. Mr. Miller and Mr. Liverman’s stipend was reduced by almost 30 percent. Mr. Miller said that he felt the raise to be appropriate given the 25 to 30 hours a week that officials spend doing town work.

Jo Butler commented that the position is in fact a “money loser” given the resources members of council invest in the job such as office supplies, cell phones, and home printers, time off work, for town and non-profit fundraising functions. Others mentioned the costs of child-care for officials with young children, such as Mayor Lempert.

“None of us are doing it for the money,” commented Mayor Lempert. “We want a diverse council; we don’t want it to be a financial hardship for people to run and serve.”

After much discussion, Mr. Simon’s motion to remove the pay rise amendment from the budget was voted down, 4-2. Councilwoman Jenny Crumiller was the other dissenting vote. The salary ordinance will be voted on later in the year.

Tax Cut and Surplus

At the same meeting, the proposed budget as presented by Kathy Monzo came under scrutiny, including a decrease in the property tax rate.

Mr. Miller questioned the timing of the tax cut, only five months after consolidation, and suggested that the newly consolidated town should wait until it has seen a full year of operation before looking at tax cuts. Ms. Monzo responded that the one penny reduction is a conservative one which would not significantly impact the town’s surplus.

Mr. Simon and Ms. Crumiller supported the tax cut. “We signed up for fiscal responsibility under consolidation and returning money to the taxpayer keeps up the pressure on us to keep the promises we made,” said Mr. Simon.

But Ms. Butler said that she shared Mr. Miller’s concerns and questioned the process by which the Finance Committee decided upon a tax cut when the decision should have been Council’s.

The town’s surplus also came in for scrutiny. Scott Sillars, chair of the Citizens’ Finance Advisory Committee, commented that even with the proposed tax reduction the surplus will grow. He spoke in favor of reducing taxes, especially in view of Gov. Chris Christie’s action in appropriating surpluses from school boards when the state budget was in difficulty.

Dog Park

In the public comment section of the meeting, John Witherspoon Middle School 7th grader Will Ratner presented a proposal for a dog park. The Cedar Lane resident spoke of his family’s adoption of a three-and-a-half-year-old cocker spaniel named Gus last November and of his decision to advocate for a dog park as his Bar Mitzvah community service project.

After meeting Liz Lempert at a “Meet the Mayor” session in January, Mr. Ratner had returned with a petition and 80 adult signatures, which he submitted to the council along with his findings from a survey of neighboring towns about the daily operations of dog parks, how they got started, how much they cost, and any health issues.

He reported on minimal health issues associated with dog parks, which are generally self-regulating. He had also “brainstormed potential dog park locations” with Ben Stentz of the recreation department.

“Overall, Princeton has no safe, or legal, off-leash area. A dog park would be good for the community. It would promote responsible pet ownership. It would also foster a positive community building environment. I hope you will consider my idea,” he said.

Upcoming Meetings

A public hearing and council vote on the budget will take place June 10. The original budget as proposed on April 1 is on the princetonnj.gov website. The Transition Task Force and Consolidation Commission will report at a special public meeting on June 12.