Content about Kevin Wilkes

The NJ Insider interviews Democratic Primary Candidate Kevin Wilkes. Running for Mayor of PrincetonCast: Princeton Community Television

In the June 5th New Jersey primaries, Princeton Democrats will be asked to choose their mayoral candidate.  It's between Liz Lempert and Kevin Wilkes.  Dick Woodbridge is the only Republican in the running. 

Richard Woodbridge, former Township mayor and former Borough Councilman, is running for mayor of consolidated Princeton.  He says that what the municipality needs most during this period of transition is “experience, experience, experience.”

Woodbridge has the unique background of having served on the elected governments of both Princeton Township and Princeton Borough.  He also grew up in Princeton, went through the public school system, and graduated from Princeton University. 

Borough Councilman and local business owner Kevin Wilkes is hoping to serve as the first mayor of consolidated Princeton.  If elected, he said that maintaining efficiency in municipal services would be his top priority.

“My goal is to effectively implement the consolidation program to manage our community affairs as one New Princeton,” Wilkes said.  “There is a high level of expectation in our community with regards to our two forms of government, and as they merge into one Princeton there can be no let down in service delivery to our citizens.”

Interview with Princeton Mayor candidate Kevin WilkesCast: Princeton Community TelevisionTags: Kevin Wilkes, Princeton, Mayor and candidate

The Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO) formally endorsed the current deputy mayor of Princeton township Liz Lempert in her bid to become the first mayor of the unified Princeton, along with four prospective candidates for Council:Lance Liverman, Bernie Miller, Heather Howard, and Patrick Simon.

In anticipation of the first election cycle of the soon-to-be consolidated Princeton Borough and Township, Sunday’s assembly at the Jewish Center of Princeton  drew a crowd of over 500 community members and eligible voters.

In a town hall meeting with Princeton Township Mayor Chad Goerner and Princeton Borough Council member Kevin Wilkes, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie congratulated the two Princetons on the recent vote in favor of consolidation.

“We have to start not just talking about challenging the status quo, but actually challenging it,” Christie said, calling the Princetons an example for the rest of the state.

“It didn’t come across as ‘neighborhood,’ ” said one resident. “It came across as ‘Courtyard Marriott hotel.’ ”

This was the sentiment Saturday morning among some of those attending Princeton Future’s meeting on plans to build a mid-rise residential community at the site of the old University Medical Center at Princeton on Witherspoon Street.

At last night’s Borough Council meeting, Anne Waldron Neumann of the public citizens’ group Save the Dinky described Councilwomen Jenny Crumiller and Jo Butler as “heroines” for their stance against Princeton University’s plans to move the Dinky station.  That didn’t prevent the rest of the Borough Council from voting “Yes” on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) drawn up earlier this week between the Township, Borough, and University

Princeton Borough Mayor Mildred Trotman has decided not to run for office when her term expires at the end of this year.

Mayor Trotman made the announcement Saturday, at a meeting of the Executive Board of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO).  At that same meeting, Borough Councilman David Goldfarb indicated his interest in running for Mayor.  Councilman Kevin Wilkes indicated he probably would not.

 (9/27 update:  See a good summary of the Dinky debate in today's Daily Princetonian)

              Debate over the fate of the Dinky will take center stage at the Public Library this Saturday morning, as Princeton Future convenes a discussion of the options for saving or replacing Princeton’s signature rail link to the NJ Transit Northeast Corridor line.