Mayor Liz Lempert cast
the tie-breaking vote Monday to back a measure that gives the town’s municipal
administrator the civilian oversight of the Princeton Police Department.
Mayor Lempert, speaking prior to voting for the first time as mayor, expressed disappointment that the divided Princeton Council could not reach consensus on an issue that officials had been debating for a while.
She and council members Bernard P. Miller, Lance Liverman and Heather H. Howard were against giving that oversight to the mayor and council. The ordinance they supported, one that puts that authority in the hands of the town administrator, needs to come up for a public hearing Sept. 23 and be followed by a vote to adopt it.
The slender 4-3 margin of Monday’s decision was not a surprise, given the comments officials on both sides of the issue had been making headed into the council meeting. Some officials felt strongly that the council and the mayor should not abdicate their responsibility as the public’s representatives on a matter too critical to delegate to a municipal employee.
Prior to casting her vote, Councilwoman Jo S. Butler said public safety is “the most important” function that municipal government provides. She expressed deep dissatisfaction with the amount of information-sharing going on about the police force, feeling access has been limited to a select few in government.
Mayor Lempert, speaking prior to voting for the first time as mayor, expressed disappointment that the divided Princeton Council could not reach consensus on an issue that officials had been debating for a while.
She and council members Bernard P. Miller, Lance Liverman and Heather H. Howard were against giving that oversight to the mayor and council. The ordinance they supported, one that puts that authority in the hands of the town administrator, needs to come up for a public hearing Sept. 23 and be followed by a vote to adopt it.
The slender 4-3 margin of Monday’s decision was not a surprise, given the comments officials on both sides of the issue had been making headed into the council meeting. Some officials felt strongly that the council and the mayor should not abdicate their responsibility as the public’s representatives on a matter too critical to delegate to a municipal employee.
Prior to casting her vote, Councilwoman Jo S. Butler said public safety is “the most important” function that municipal government provides. She expressed deep dissatisfaction with the amount of information-sharing going on about the police force, feeling access has been limited to a select few in government.
She
joined council members Jenny Crumiller and Patrick Simon in opposing the
ordinance that makes Administrator Robert W. Bruschi the “appropriate
authority,” as it is called.
On the other hand, some officials felt it important to avoid politicizing the department and thought it made sense to have one person, namely Mr. Bruschi, be the civilian oversight instead of the mayor and the council.
Councilwoman Heather H. Howard said in consulting with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities and other sources, the view was overwhelming that the administrator should be the “appropriate authority.”
”And universally without any equivocation, all of them said it should be the administrator,” Mayor Lempert said at a press conference earlier Monday before the meeting.
Prior to consolidation, Mayor Lempert and the four other members of the Township Committee acted as the appropriate authority over the police. Mayor Lempert was asked what was wrong with that arrangement.
”As a new government, I try not to view things as ‘how did we do it in the township? Let’s do it that way,’” Mayor Lempert said. “And I would hope my colleagues from the borough aren’t saying, ‘This is the way we did it in the borough. This is how we should do it now.’”
On the other hand, some officials felt it important to avoid politicizing the department and thought it made sense to have one person, namely Mr. Bruschi, be the civilian oversight instead of the mayor and the council.
Councilwoman Heather H. Howard said in consulting with the New Jersey State League of Municipalities and other sources, the view was overwhelming that the administrator should be the “appropriate authority.”
”And universally without any equivocation, all of them said it should be the administrator,” Mayor Lempert said at a press conference earlier Monday before the meeting.
Prior to consolidation, Mayor Lempert and the four other members of the Township Committee acted as the appropriate authority over the police. Mayor Lempert was asked what was wrong with that arrangement.
”As a new government, I try not to view things as ‘how did we do it in the township? Let’s do it that way,’” Mayor Lempert said. “And I would hope my colleagues from the borough aren’t saying, ‘This is the way we did it in the borough. This is how we should do it now.’”