By Anne Levin

Surrounded by supporters of his campaign to be Princeton’s next mayor, Mark Freda spoke briefly at a public event last week that got the effort off to an official start.

“I like to get things done,” he told the gathering at the Italian American Sportsmen’s Club on Wednesday, February 19. “I say do it, do it, get it done.”

A former Princeton Borough Council member for 13 years, Freda is president of the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad and has served with the Princeton Fire Department since 1974. He chaired the Transition Task Force to help facilitate the consolidation of the former Borough and Township in 2013, and lists several other areas of community service on his campaign website.

Freda told the assembled crowd that Princeton should be spending more money on roads. He mentioned future use of Monument Hall, which some have suggested be the site of a future hotel — “a bad premise,” he said. He also touched on the town’s current Climate Action Plan, which he would continue to support.

Open government and transparency are at the heart of Freda’s campaign. “When I talk about transparency, I really mean it,” he said after his formal remarks. “Council will sit with an open mind. We want the public’s input, so we’re all sharing the same information.”

Other areas of focus for Freda would be public transportation, and the relationship between Princeton University and the town.

Freda is the only person to announce a run for mayor. Current mayor Liz Lempert, whose term ends at the end of this year, will not pursue a third term.

The Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO), to which members pay dues allowing them to vote on candidate endorsements, will hold an endorsement meeting Sunday, March 15. The terms of Princeton Council members David Cohen and Leticia Fraga will be up for grabs, and both have announced they are running for reelection. Also running is newcomer Dina Shaw. Candidates can run without the PCDO endorsement.