College-Age Candidate Says He Brings Focus on Key Issues

Becky Melvin

A key issue on which Republican candidate Evan J. Baehr will build his campaign for Princeton Borough Council member is payments in lieu of taxes made by Princeton University.

Payments in lieu of taxes, or the university's economic contribution to the community, is one of several town and gown issues that will figure prominently in Mr. Baehr's campaign to gain a seat on the all-Democratic Party council this fall.

Other issues clustered around University-Borough affairs mentioned by Mr. Baehr include: the community's perception of students as four-year visitors; law enforcement, namely eating clubs and alcohol use; and traffic and parking.

Mr. Baehr is a Princeton University undergraduate student at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

Since he arrived in Princeton in 2001 he has been involved in Princeton College Republicans on campus and is currently president of that group. He has also been an elected member of the Princeton Borough Republican Committee for two years.

After a hiatus in which Republicans haven't run as a party in Borough elections for three years, the Borough Republican Committee announced this month it is backing the candidacy of Mr. Baehr, citing this year's presidential election as a factor improving its candidate's chances of winning. Students tend to vote more in a presidential election year.

The college junior said he is a good choice for borough council member because he has a deep commitment to local politics; he understands community interests; and he also has a firm grasp on the university's perspective on key issues facing the community.

"By improving town and gown issues, tax payers will pay fewer taxes if the University pays more to the Borough," Mr. Baehr said.

"In regard to the alarming increase in property taxes, it is easy for council members to blame the University for not paying its fair share," Mr. Baehr said. "And there's some truth to that. But council members have to present a package to the University that is appealing, if they want more cooperation."

In 2003, the University paid the Borough $102,000 cash. The institution also gave noncash donations of $1.4 million, supporting civic projects such as the new public library.

"No matter how convincing the figure, if the University doesn't feel that the money will be spent efficiently or effectively, it isn't likely going to acquiesce to higher contributions," he said, referring to aspects hindering Borough-University relations that may have to do with attitudes.

"The library represents a fantastic example of the Borough cooperating with the University," he added.

Mr. Baehr also believes he will be able to rally support from Princeton students, who number 4,500 strong in District 1, because the student body overall desires to be better connected to the broader Princeton community. Students are, however, often under a false perception that they fall only under the jurisdiction of student government.

This isn't true, the Pensacola, Florida native said. "Local government affects student life in many ways including academic life, social life, and even what channels we receive on TV," he said.

Only about 10 percent of the student body are part of College Republicans, Mr. Baehr said; and although the true number of Republicans on campus may be higher at around 20 percent to 30 percent, he is optimistic about greater student support because he doesn't think local politics is about party politics. "It's about resolving conflicts among interest groups," he said.

Students aren't just four-year visitors, he said. They palpably affect the community because they shop in local stores, drive on the roads, work in retail stores, worship at different houses of faith, and volunteer in the community.

He plans to spur his campaign on campus with "get out the vote" advertising. It will be augmented on both campus and the community with campaign literature to inform voters about what he brings to the table, and through advertising through local media. E-mail is another form of outreach on campus, he said.

To both students and the community, he said, "I offer a fresh perspective and a break in the one-party monopoly on the Borough Council."

Mr. Baehr graduates in spring 2005. But if elected, he said there is a good chance he could serve out a three-year term because he may attend graduate school in Princeton or he may work for a local organization.

The Princeton Borough Council race will have a competitive Democratic primary June 8 with four candidates including incumbent council members Roger Martindell and Andrew Koontz as well as Mark Freda and Anne Waldron Neumann. Now it will include a Republican candidate as well.