To the Editor:

In recent years, we have seen businesses leave Princeton, some moving out to other towns, some closing their doors for good. It is a loss for our community to lose flagship stores, services, and offices that have been part of the Princeton community. Many of these businesses had been a part of our local tradition, supporting our community’s economy and contributing to Princeton’s unique character for decades. Businesses in Princeton pay a significant amount of the real estate taxes remitted to the town, lessening the burden on residents. 

Knowing that most research shows that for every dollar spent with a local business or service provider the return to the community is $4 to $8, I believe in order to keep our downtown area vital we need more support from the local government for infrastructure investment, lessening of zoning restrictions, and solutions for parking. In addition to these issues, we also need to attract more tourists, as Princeton is a wonderful destination both for overnight stays as well as day trips, and increased foot traffic will help our businesses grow and thrive.

There is only one candidate for Princeton Council who has the business savvy and vision to impact our business community and help bring about the needed changes in our approach, to think out of the box for solutions to these issues, and to show the dedication needed to find ways to solve problems.

The person to do this is Michelle Pirone Lambros.

We need leadership to develop plans to attract investment, develop events that will attract tourists, find ways to make the town more business friendly, and ensure that we have better transportation to move residents around town. All of these ideas come from Michelle Pirone Lambros, whom I am supporting for Princeton Council.

We need innovative solutions to the challenges the business community is facing today, and I am confident that Michelle offers the leadership skills to accomplish this. Vote for Michelle on June 5th.

Hank B. Siegel

Hamilton Co., Jewelers