U.P. with Consolidation

Proponents of Princeton Borough and Township consolidation met in the spirit of planning last night at the Princeton Public Library. However, before they got down to business there was definite tension in the conference room as two of the people present turned out to be against the consolidation. Tensions eased after the door shut behind the non-supporters, and the meeting quickly became a strategic brainstorming session. 
 
Leading the meeting was Peter Wolanin, one of the founders of a non-partisan public commission called “Unite Princeton”. Wolanin joked that the creators were trying to send the message 'U.P.' not down, playing on the acronym of the Commission's title. Wolanin affirmed that the sole purpose of Unite Princeton "is to advocate for consolidation." 
 
Then came the logistics of the campaign to promote consolidation. Although the group expressed clear confidence in the consolidation report, Wolanin reminded them that having a great report is not enough to ensure that consolidation passes, as evidenced by voters’ rejection of consolidation when it was on the ballot in 1996. Wolanin estimated a need to raise at least $15,200 for mailings, flyers, advertisements, and other modes of publicity, targetting about 10,000 voters in both the Borough and the Township. Roughly one third of these voters, the group suggests, are from the Borough. 
 
This led to an impromptu poll of which members of the group live in the Borough and which live in the Township. After the poll was taken, one person joked, "and you don't look any different than we do!" Her comment alluded to the issue of “losing Borough identity” that is often raised by opponents of consolidation. Some people feel Borough and Township residents have different identities, and that consolidation would be an unfavorable mix. But of the resistance to consolidation, Township resident Henry Singer said, "a lot of this is fueled by fear." 
 
On the other hand, there are Princetonians who do not even know about the separate municipalities. Stories were shared of police officers and friends, as well as some members of the group themselves who, until becoming employed by a municipality or hearing about consolidation were not aware of the two Princetons.
 
The group established that their "key strategy" would be door-to-door visits, making phone calls, and doing anything to reach out to the Princeton community. Although the “Unite Princeton” group is rather invested in the issue, many Princetonians don't see the effects of the division, and only want to know the effect of consolidation on their taxes. It was proposed that one way to win votes in November was to highlight the short-term financial benefits of consolidation. Certain savings -- such as time spent by Borough and Township officials writing letters of agreement to one another -- could be hard to account for. 
 
Another suggestion was to organize gatherings in neighborhoods to discuss consolidation, which many believed would be a fitting response, as some neighborhoods are divided between the two municipalities. 
 
Attention was also given to the possible actions of the state government. Perhaps the most pointed statement of the night was the feeling that "the state should put its money where its mouth is. It has been preaching about having fewer municipalities for a long time."