Round Up of Local Candidates

Candace Braun
Matthew Hersh

Princeton Borough

Evan Baehr
Republican

Evan Baehr is an undergraduate student at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Mr. Baehr's platform focuses on relations between the Borough and the University, mainly the college's payment in lieu of taxes. The first Republican to run for Council in three years, if elected, Mr. Baehr pledges not to increase Borough property taxes for three years; to achieve a structured, financial commitment from all tax-exempt institutions; and to allow the University to control student issues, such as the monitoring of underage drinking on campus.

Andrew Koontz
Democrat

Andrew Koontz is new to Council this year, filling the seat vacated by Joe O'Neill when he became mayor in January. An 11-year resident of the Borough and the only candidate who was in favor of the downtown redevelopment project, Mr. Koontz has taken measures this year to ensure that taxes don't rise significantly again in 2005. In June he proposed a resolution to Council that would revise the schedule for road reconstruction, decrease the Borough's police force from 34 to 32 members, reevaluate meter patrol staff, and urge the Township to consolidate police departments with the Borough.

Roger Martindell
Democrat

Roger Martindell is a lifelong resident of Princeton and a member of Borough Council since 1989, as well as the Borough's finance committee chairman. A lawyer who often represents members of the Hispanic community, Mr. Martindell is a strong advocate of creating affordable housing in the Borough. Known as the Borough's "no" man, he has been known to vote against the Borough's tax hike several years, including 2004. Strongly in favor of providing tax relief to Borough residents, Mr. Martindell would like to increase revenues to offset the tax burden, with actions that include raising parking meter and garage fees.

Princeton Township

Paul Kapp
Republican

Paul Kapp, 44, believes a one-party government is not receptive to the political sentiment of all Township voters: "As well-intentioned as the members of Committee may be, they're not getting the full picture."

He added that a one-party government is "unhealthy for any environment."

Married since 1995, the Snowden Lane resident and his wife have two young children, Nicholas and Erick, and have lived in the Township for nearly 10 years. Mr. Kapp is a member of the PTO at the LIttlebrook School where son Erick is a student. He owns the McKinley Marketing Group on Harrison Street.

Mr. Kapp emphasized that with the Borough facing historic tax hikes, he does not want to see the effects spill into the Township though the joint municipal agencies.

Lance Liverman
Democrat

Mr. Liverman, 41, a lifelong Princetonian, is running on the Democratic ticket with the hope of maintaining an "inclusive community," and has been encouraged by working residents, previously uninvolved in the community, who have become more interested in finding time for their local government.

Mr. Liverman's wife LaTonya, and daughters Kelsey and Ashlyn were the ones to encourage him to run for office: "It's the right thing to do," he said. "I want to be able to have the best roads, best parks, and to make sure our taxes aren't killing us in Princeton Township.

The candidate, who heads up Liverman Associates, a real estate venture, is vice chairman of the Princeton Human Services Commission, a trustee on the Princeton Community Village Housing Board and the Arts Council of Princeton's Neighborhood Advisory Board. He has also looked at launching an initiative offering after school guidance for "at risk" teenagers.

Irene White
Republican

As a Republican, Irene White said her party affiliation lends itself to be more business-minded, more conservative, and overall more "fiscally-responsible." A resident since 1983, Ms. White said she believes the Township has involved itself in a form of "runaway spending." A former administrator in the medical division at Johnson & Johnson, she said her background in dealing with division budgets gives her insight has to how to "properly" spend Township monies. She also contended that general Republican practices, overall, dictate more "responsible" spending.

"I'm concerned with the Township's rising debt load, and it will come back to haunt us over the years," she said.

Ms. White is also interested in preserving the character of the Township by re-emphasizing the ideal of a quiet, tree-lined community. "I think our character is unique and I think we need to develop a long-range plan to handle our traffic."

Phyllis Marchand
Democrat

Mayor Phyllis Marchand has served on Township Committee since 1987 and nine consecutive terms as mayor. An advocate for age-restricted housing, Mayor Marchand has focused energy in this past term to keep seniors in Princeton. Rising property taxes have sent seniors packing to neighboring communities.

A resident of Montadale Drive with her husband, Lucien, the mayor also said she would spend another term pushing for ordinances that would improve public safety and health. When announcing her intent to run for re-election, she said she would work with the state to enable a town's right to enact ordinances to ban smoking in public places. Municipalities currently do not have that ability.

"There is still important work to be done," Mayor Marchand said. "We are almost at the point of complete build-out in the town and the direction we take in the next few years will be critical to the long-term health and vibrancy of our community."

Mayor Marchand has three grown children and is a grandmother.