To the Editor:
Jon Durbin and David Cohen are the two best candidates for Council. In the next few years, Princeton will undertake huge projects that will significantly impact our quality of life and affordability: the new Princeton Zoning Code, the redevelopment of the historic Westminster Choir College Campus, the implementation of the Fourth Round Affordable Housing Plan, and the construction of a big new consolidated Public Works Facility on River Road to free up key affordable housing sites.
In each one of these projects, robust and meaningful community engagement will be key to ensuring optimal outcomes that create vibrant new opportunities while preserving Princeton’s unique character without burdensome tax increases that would make living here even less affordable for many residents.
Jon and David each have a deep understanding of our town, and each have demonstrated a strong personal commitment to our quality of life through extensive volunteer efforts over many years.
Jon’s campaign slogan — Community First — speaks multitudes about how he will govern on Council. His successful efforts over many years as president of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization and Princeton Little League have solidly demonstrated his ability to balance and unite multiple interests. His professional work at the employee-owned W. W. Norton publishing company has soundly demonstrated his ability to plan and manage complex multimillion-dollar projects involving numerous people from multiple disciplines.
David’s deep knowledge of the Princeton community and its government through his multi-year work on Council, the Planning Board, the Historic Preservation Commission, and the Affordable Housing Committee, and his professional work as a licensed architect, are all invaluable and irreplaceable as our town addresses major projects and municipal budgeting and operation over the coming years. David’s dedicated service as a crossing guard overseeing the safety of schoolchildren is especially admirable and emblematic of his commitment to Princeton.
Jon and David have demonstrated an essential characteristic of excellent public service — the ability to listen closely and absorb diverse viewpoints, and to balance these effectively to devise and implement policy for the greatest public benefit.
For the optimal community engagement in Princeton over the next several years, lets elect Jon and reelect David to Council this year.