Letters of Support
To the Editor:
We write in support of Jo Butler’s candidacy for Borough Council. In extensive conversations we have found Jo’s thinking to be very clear, her answers very careful, and her approach to finding solutions practical and carefully structured.
That she is running with the full support of Township Committee augurs very well for the possibility of future discussions and actions with the Township.
We urge our fellow Borough residents to call Jo, to visit her website, and to consider what an on-going benefit it will be to have her at work on Borough Council — and by extension, within our whole community.
CLAIRE and DAVID JACOBUS
Cleveland Lane
To the Editor:
As a Princeton Borough Council member, I support Jo Butler as the candidate who is most likely to effect positive change on the Council.
Jo’s personal integrity, strong work ethic, lifelong democratic values, business acumen, and professional expertise are attributes that complement and enhance the qualities and skills of the current Council.
However, most significant of Jo’s qualifications is her careful and deliberative approach to decision-making. Rather than “shooting from the hip,” Jo does her homework and respectfully considers all sides of issues. In my view this gives her credibility that is of the utmost importance as the Council faces the challenges of consolidation, the repercussions of revaluation, and renewed negotiations with Princeton University.
Jo Butler will make our Borough government smarter and better. Residents of all backgrounds will benefit when we are more efficient, compassionate, and smart about how we use our resources.
I urge Borough voters to support Jo Butler on Election Day.
JENNY CRUMILLER
Library Place
To the Editor:
I write to encourage my fellow Princeton Borough residents to join me in supporting Jo Butler for Borough Council in the June 8 Democratic primary election.
I’ve known Jo for many years, dating to her involvement with the Council of the Friends of the Princeton Public Library, a strong public-private partnership that set the tone for her involvement in community affairs.
I recently had the pleasure of working with Jo at one of three information sessions on revaluation at the Princeton Public Library. Jo organized these sessions as a volunteer, and, together with library staff, helped about two dozen Borough and Township residents learn more about the revaluation process and the possible tax impact of their new assessments.
These one-on-one information sessions demonstrated that Jo shares my commitment to a Borough that is made stronger by its cultural and economic diversity, a place where all of us can continue to enjoy excellent public schools and first-rate municipal services without being taxed out of town.
Her background in finance, her work with public-private groups such as the Friends of the Library and the Citizens Finance Advisory Taskforce, and her overall compassion make her uniquely qualified to serve on Borough Council, where she will be an asset to all in our town.
TIM QUINN
Wilton Street
To the Editor:
I am writing to urge my fellow Princetonians to vote for Jo Butler, candidate for Princeton Borough Council, in the primary election on June 8. I have been privileged to work with Jo on several volunteer efforts in our community and have seen firsthand her keen intellect and problem-solving skills in action.
I have gotten to know Jo through our work together at the Princeton Public Library, having served in different capacities on the Friends Council and the Foundation Board during the last decade. Her commitment to the library and its crucial role in our community mirrors her larger understanding of Princeton’s unique character and her grasp of local issues. As we find ourselves in the midst of a challenging economic climate, it is essential to have people like Jo who are committed to cost-savings and program efficiency in all areas of the budget, while insisting on quality-of-life standards so important to our citizens. Jo understands the importance of making Princeton an affordable community for all its residents. She supports the study of consolidation and the practical benefits that can be achieved by shared services with the Township and the County. Most importantly, as a founding member of the Citizens Finance Advisory Taskforce, she is committed to making the budget more transparent and accessible, thus encouraging greater input and participation by our citizens.
I hope Princeton Borough residents will examine the issues between now and the election and vote for Jo Butler on June 8. She will provide the informed guidance that is required at this critical time.
MARGARET GRIFFIN
Battle Road
To the Editor:
Princeton Borough and the state of New Jersey are in precarious fiscal condition. Average property taxes in the Borough increased 80 percent between 2000 and 2008. If that trend continues the typical homeowner will end up with a $26,000 property tax bill before Barack Obama leaves office.
Broad trends, unfortunately, are worsening. New Jersey had $103 billion in unfunded pensions and benefits in 2008. Health care costs are rising. The feeble economy increases costs and reduces tax revenue. Meanwhile, Governor Christie’s cuts inject immense uncertainty into local budgets.
Nonetheless, for the past two years Princeton Borough has managed to contain expenses, with no increase in property taxes and no increase in spending. Mayor, Council, and Administrator deserve great credit for this accomplishment. It is vital that local government continues to emphasize cost containment if Princeton is to retain its diversity and remain livable to citizens of ordinary means.
Jo Butler is running for one of two slots on the Borough Council in the Democratic primary on June 8. She brings a strong focus on fiscal prudence. I’ve worked extensively with her in the Citizen’s Financial Advisory Taskforce, a group she co-founded to find efficiencies and savings in local government, and have seen the organization, diligence, and imagination she brings to the process. I believe she will be highly effective on the Council and urge the Borough’s residents to vote for her on Tuesday.
Roger Martindell is also running for Borough Council, where he has served for many years, consistently pushing for cost effective solutions, shared services with Princeton Township, and new sources of non-tax revenue. I urge citizens interested in keeping Princeton affordable to return him to office.
Like most Princeton residents I’m willing to pay a bit more in taxes for better public services and a better quality of life; however, taxes doubling every eight years isn’t in my budget. Both Jo and Roger are sensitive to what makes Princeton special and will work to preserve and build on it, while ensuring that escalating taxes do not drive the most vulnerable from our community. Please vote on June 8.
NICK KARP
Boudinot Street
To the Editor:
I am writing to explain why I will be voting for Anne Waldron Neumann and Jo Butler in the Princeton Borough Democratic Primary on June 8, and why I urge my fellow Princeton Borough Democrats to do the same.
I have known and worked with Anne Waldron Neumann for a number of years, and over that time I have been consistently impressed with her hard work, her thoughtful approach to issues, and the great passion she brings to everything she does. She has served the Borough selflessly on a number of volunteer boards, and particularly distinguished herself with her work on the citizens committee, which has led the way in the latest effort to achieve a greater contribution toward the municipal budget from Princeton University. More recently, she has spoken up on the revaluation in an effort to ensure that all property owners in our community are treated fairly. I know that as a Council Member, I am frequently guided by her strongly held, but always well-expressed, opinions.
Jo Butler, too, has already established herself as a well-informed and diligent contributor to our community. Her years of service to our public library are already well known and well respected. Like Anne, Jo provided many of our residents with useful information and guidance in the revaluation. But what distinguishes Jo is her financial expertise, which made her the natural leader of the Citizen’s Finance Advisory Task Force. This task force provided Borough Council with much needed guidance during the latest budget cycle, in which the Borough achieved for the second year in a row a zero-cent property tax increase, due in large measure to Jo’s involvement. Needless to say, Borough Council would benefit from expertise such as Jo’s from within its own ranks.
I have now served on Borough Council for almost six years. In that time, I have come to recognize that the qualities we most need from the people we elect to serve on our local governing bodies are good-hearted common sense, intelligence, and tirelessness, qualities that both Anne and Jo have in abundance. I think now is the time for Anne and Jo to continue their work on behalf of our community as elected members of Borough Council.
ANDREW KOONTZ
Spruce Street