Departments Outline Potential Changes

Princeton departments that already share services may have a leg up in the consolidation of Princeton Township and Princeton Borough come Jan. 1, 2013. 

As The Transition Task Force begins the process of merging the towns, it is inviting departments to make public presentations outlining its staff, mission and potential changes over the next year.

On Wednesday, Court, Health, Recreation, Human Services and the Princeton Senior Resource Center (PSRC) made presentations.

Department representatives said likely changes would include slight name changes, office relocations, even work under a single Princeton community service center. 

The Borough and Township have separate courts, but each performs the same function and should be easy to merge, said Transition Task Force Chair Mark Freda. The courts will lose one court administrator.

Susan Hoskins, executive director of the PSRC, said departments working more closely together would make it easier for residents to get multiple services in one location.

“I see only opportunities (with consolidation),” she said.

The health department will lose two a member of the health commission and a liaison,” Health Officer David Henry told the TTF.

Other departments will have more significant personnel cuts and TTF members worry about the impact of delaying those decisions.

“You have people whose livelihood depends on if they have a job or not,” Freda said, adding that those who fear losing their jobs could start a job search.

He stressed although more research still needs to be done on the issue, it will be important for Princeton to launch a new municipality with existing employees.