To the Editor:

As election season approaches, it is incumbent upon us, as citizens of this great country, to make the most informed decisions we can about our elected officials, in a community as profound as Princeton, its legacy and historical relevance are maintained by the elected officials who represent our interests locally. With that said, it is with utmost sincerity that I urge my fellow Democrats to support my friend and colleague, Bernie Miller, for the new consolidated Princeton Council on June 5, so he can carry forward the work of the Consolidation Commission and ensure that our community can realize the benefits of Consolidation.

As a 17-year-resident of Princeton and United States Space Technology Hall of Fame Inductee, I have been honored to work with Bernie Miller for over 20 years, both professionally and as a volunteer for the Princeton community. In the 1990s I worked with him when he was the Project Manager for a complex and sophisticated telecommunications satellite and I saw how he used his management skills and experience to guide the early development of this satellite concept. Even during his tenure as an engineer, Bernie excelled. He received the NASA Public Service Award in 1965 for management of the NASA Ranger Program. This satellite took the first close up, high-resolution images of the surface of the moon to aid in the selection of the landing sites for Apollo. Later we worked together on the Council of the Friends of the Princeton Public Library where as Treasurer, Bernie used his financial acumen to manage the resources of the Friends. More recently, I have seen him bring his vision for the future of our community to bear on the Consolidation Study and the Transition Task Force to facilitate the merger of our two communities.

Having served as Princeton township committeeman since 2002 to the present, and Mayor in 2009 and 2010, Bernie’s pedigree and commitment to Princeton are without a question. In 2011, Bernie led the Princeton Township team that negotiated the first voluntary payment of $500,000 by Princeton University to the Township and played a pivotal role in opening of the Princeton Community Park Pool. As Township Deputy Mayor and Mayor Bernie worked very closely with his colleagues on Borough Council on issues shared by our two municipalities and on the Joint Princeton Finance Committee on the funding of services and projects that our two municipalities share.

Based on my experience, I have no doubt of Bernie Miller’s commitment and dedication to the town of Princeton. I support the candidacy of Bernie Miller for endorsement in the Democratic primary election. Please join me in voting for Bernie Miller for Princeton Council on June 5^.

Surinder Sharma

Christopher Drive