There will no longer be a tale of two Princeton’s

Years ago, a lobbyist at the New Jersey State House cracked that North and South Korea would sooner merge than Princeton Township and Princeton Borough.  Well, with the New Year, the marriage of the two Princeton’s becomes final. 

Ever since voters approved the idea in November 2011, we’ve known Princeton Township and Princeton Borough are merging. Anton Lahnston, chairman of the Consolidation Commission,  says even though the two had already been sharing some services, the merger will mean everything comes under one roof.

“We had two police stations they were about a half mile from one another,” said Lahnston. “Consolidation brings about a single police force at a single site existing now for the single community.”

Outgoing Princeton Borough Mayor Chad Goerner says the consolidation is producing more savings than first predicted.

“What that will translate into for year one is the certainty of no tax increase and it will clearly put us on a path of a more sustainable budget,” said Goerner.

Goerner says while a dozen or two people in duplicate positions were offered buy-outs, most of the savings is coming through attrition.