By Donald Gilpin
Democrats Eve Niedergang and Dwaine Williamson and Republican Lisa Wu are heading into the final three weeks of their campaign for two available positions on Princeton Council, as current members Heather Howard and Lance Liverman prepare to step down at the end of the year.
Currently all six Council members are Democrats, and there has been no Republican candidate for Council since 2015. In the Democratic primary election in June Niedergang and Williamson won the most votes in a field of five candidates, and Wu was unopposed in the Republican primary.
Niedergang and Williamson are running a joint campaign with the theme of “A Princeton for All,” promising to bring to Council “fresh ideas and powerful voices.”
They share goals for a Princeton that is welcoming and inclusive, embracing “people of all backgrounds and abilities”; fiscally responsible, with “prudent stewardship of public spending and critical assessment of government priorities” as “key to holding down property taxes”; committed to affordability, where “people from all backgrounds and means can share in the many community advantages”; and dedicated to sustainable growth and “to preserving a vibrant Princeton that is attractive to businesses and residents.”
Niedergang has lived in Princeton since 1985 with her husband and two children. She has been a Princeton community leader and volunteer for more than 25 years, with leadership roles in the PTO and the Friends of the Princeton Public Library. She previously worked at ETS and then as a consultant in educational testing. Since 2016 she has been the coordinator of volunteers at The Watershed Institute.
Dwaine Williamson, an attorney in private practice with a background in finance and experience in land-use law, has lived in Princeton with his wife and three children since 1988. He serves on the Princeton Planning Board and the Advisory Board of the Witherspoon-Jackson Development Corporation, and has volunteered with many community organizations over the past 20 years.
“We will continue to reach out to all Princeton residents to find out what their concerns are and to knock on doors in every neighborhood. We welcome questions and comments through our website princetonforall.org,” said Niedergang.
“We both feel strongly about pursuing policies that encourage economic and ethnic diversity,” said Williamson, who emigrated with his family from Jamaica as a young child and grew up in Trenton. “As an immigrant in a nation of immigrants, I am proud to support Princeton’s firm commitment to remain a welcoming community. While the town has many advantages to offer, we face the challenge of making sure those advantages are shared by everyone.”
More detailed comments from Niedergang and Williamson about taxes, zoning, civil rights, affordable housing, public parking, and other subjects can be found on vote411.org.
Wu, focusing on the need to rein in property taxes, stated, “I’m running because Princeton is facing a crisis which affects the very essence of Princeton as we know it. The principal culprit is our local government, which seems incapable of addressing our continually rising property taxes beyond temporary fixes and dipping into reserves.”
Calling for “a budget process that focuses on the essential services,” Wu accused the mayor and Council of standing by passively as the schools and the county increase taxes. “Where are our elected officials in advocating on behalf of the beleaguered taxpayer?” she asked. “Missing in action! It’s time to elect a constructive dissenting voice and taxpayer advocate to Council.”
Wu further advocated freezing municipal employment levels and holding the line on personnel costs and benefits. She continued, “We must face the reality that Princeton is living beyond its means. The municipality cannot be all things to all people. We should observe and learn from neighboring communities who do it just as well with less burden on the taxpayer. One Republican on town Council can make a huge difference.”
Wu came to the United States from Taiwan in 1974. She has a professional background in accounting. She raised three children as a single mother and is a resident of Princeton affordable housing. Earlier this year, she helped to persuade Council to reinstate nutritionally balanced free meals for senior citizens at the Princeton Senior Resource Center. Wu teaches Chinese as a Second Language on a part-time, volunteer basis.
“I am committed to community involvement and ensuring that Princeton remains affordable for all our residents, especially seniors and retirees who need a helping hand,” she said. Wu declined to participate in a candidates-night forum with her two Democratic opponents organized by The League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area earlier this month.
The election, which includes candidates for School Board, local, county, and federal offices, will take place on Tuesday, November 6.