Princeton’s former Animal Control Officer (ACO) Mark Johnson has formally rejected the separation agreement he was offered by the municipality last month following his suspension in February.

Mr. Johnson confirmed yesterday by telephone that he had sent a letter on March 20 in advance of the March 23 deadline he had been given to accept or reject the separation agreement. He is being advised by attorney Donald Barbeti and declined to comment on the reason for what he calls his “termination” or on the terms offered in the separation agreement.

After being suspended with pay for a week beginning February 23, Mr. Johnson was off the municipal payroll by March 2. The reason for the suspension and the terms of his separation agreement have not been disclosed by officials.

At last week’s meeting of mayor and Council, municipal attorney Trishka Cecil said that in order to protect the animal control officer’s privacy, officials could not discuss the reasons for Mr. Johnson’s suspension or the separation agreement. She said, however, that the suspension was not due “to the issue with the deer summonses,” referring to tickets that Mr. Johnson had given to a local resident for allegedly feeding deer and interfering with a bait station. The charges against the local resident were dismissed in Princeton Municipal Court on the same day that Mr. Johnson was suspended.

With no an animal control officer in Princeton, the municipality has contracted with the neighboring town of Montgomery to share their animal control services until a replacement is hired. The contract, which is not to exceed $15,000, will run until June 30.

Residents have expressed doubts that their animal control needs will be met with this arrangement. “Mark was spread thin and the staff being brought in from Montgomery will have to cover Princeton as well as Montgomery,” said Edgerstoune Road resident Martha McKinnon in a telephone call to Town Topics.

Ms. McKinnon was one of a number of locals who turned out to show support for Mr. Johnson at last week’s meeting of the mayor and Council. They spoke about his knowledge, his respect for animals, and his helpfulness to residents. Several called for his reinstatement.

Mr. Johnson has served as Princeton’s Animal Control Officer for over two decades and is well-known to the community.

Voices of Support

Dawn Day has lived in Princeton for 38 years and has called upon the animal control officer several times. “He has always been conscientious and done a good job. How can be be let go?” she asked, adding that she is a supporter of the town’s animal control program. “A herd of six deer pass through my yard with some frequency and I am concerned that with the departure of Mr. Johnson, the deer management program will be eviscerated,” she said. “Who will give tickets to those people who are not in support of deer management?” she asked.

“With Mark Johnson gone, will his replacement have the confidence to write those tickets?” asked Ms. Day, raising the question about enforcing Princeton’s ban on feeding deer.

Town Administrator Marc Dashield was not available for comment for this article. In his absence, Financial Officer Kathryn Monzo said that “the deer feeding rules have not changed and will continue to be enforced.” She also said that the municipality will be “moving forward to find a permanent solution for Animal Control, and that most likely will be hiring a new ACO, but we will explore all options.” She was not allowed to discuss the terms of the separation agreement.

“What is being done to Mark Johnson is unfair; they are trying to force him out of his job; this is a huge injustice to a decent human being,” said Ms. McKinnon, adding that if Mr. Johnson needs someone to speak for him in court, she’d be willing to do so.

Town Topics has received letters to the editor in support of Mr. Johnson. Carolyn and Bruce ‘Rob’ Robertson of Mercer Street wrote of Mr. Johnson’s help “many times over the past 10 years or more with groundhogs and other animal concerns including the death of our cat. He has always quickly returned our calls for help and been professional, informative, and considerate of the animals in question.”