Princeton Township Committee 2000

2000 VOTERS GUIDE

NON-PARTISAN ELECTION INFORMATION

Vote Tuesday, November 7, 2000

CANDIDATES FOR PRINCETON TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE

The League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area is a nonpartisan, non-profit volunteer organization which works to promote active, informed participation of all citizens in their government. The League provide nonpartisan information on public issues, and takes action on issues after member study and consensus. In publishing this material, the League neither endorses nor rejects the views of any candidate quoted.

All candidate information in this guide was compiled from candidates' responses to questionnaires. Replies are printed in the candidates' own words, without editing or verification. Due to space limitation, the candidates were given a word limit for replies. Incumbents are indicated by an asterisk (*).

Reprinting of this guide in part or in whole is not permissible without written permission of the League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area.

The League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area submitted the following four questions to all candidates for Princeton Township Committee:

1. Recently, Gov. Whitman signed a bill allowing municipalities to seek waivers to state hunting regulations and develop their own deer management programs. How should Princeton Township manage deer overpopulation?

2. With the slated reconstruction of the library and the Arts Council and the construction of a new garage, should there be a comprehensive plan for downtown Princeton as part of the Princeton Community Master Plan? What is the role of the Township Committee in planning for downtown Princeton?

3. Traffic is projected to triple on local roadways in the Princeton area by 2020. What can municipal planners and Committee members do to avoid this situation?

4 The proposed one-cent open-space tax increase will be a referendum question in the upcoming election. If approved, how would you prioritize the spending of these funds. Please be specific.

CANDIDATES FOR PRINCETON TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE

Vote for One

Term: 3 years

THOMAS ABRAMS

Libertarian Party

No response received.

LEONARD E. A. GODFREY*

Democratic Party

Address:560 Lake Dr., Princeton, NJ 08540

Education:BSc. Chemistry (London University, 1950), PhD. Organic Chemistry (London University, 1962)

Occupation: Retired, University Administration Patents and Licenses, Businessman, and Research Chemist

Community Activities:Member of Township Committee, 1988-1991, and currently Member of Township Committee since 1998; Assisted (as a volunteer) wife Gillian Godfrey when she was Director of the Suzanne Patterson Center for Senior Citizens.

Responses:

1. The Township should first reduce the number of deer by a controlled hunt on public lands, under the safest possible conditions. This should be done using paid professionals or specially trained police officers. When the herd reaches the recommended number (about 300) it should be kept at that size using immuno-contraception, if any product is commercially available and permitted by State and Federal Laws.

2. Yes, definitely. This should have been done long ago before beginning any planning for the new library. The Township, which is the main financial supporter of the library and whose population are the main users should be consulted at all stages. The Township's members of the Planning Board should be able to present our views or

3. We should work closely with the State and Middlesex and Somerset counties to develop a plan for the whole area. We should also lobby strongly at both the Federal and State level for the removal of all tolls from the Turnpike to encourage trucks and other through traffic to use this highway as the preferred North-South route through New Jersey. At present, much of the truck traffic is going from I287 to I95 and I295 on local roadways to avoid tolls.

4. The funds should be used for the acquisition of the Gulick farm and for the construction and maintenance of playing fields there and on the Institute lands when they become available. The open space tax funds should also be used for the purchase of land on the Great Road and Rosedale Road if any is offered for sale.

JACK MARRERO

Republican Party

Address:310 Cherry Hill Road, Princeton, NJ 08540

Education: M.A. New York University, Human Relations, Behavioral Science 1969; B.S. Hartwick College, Business Administration 1959;

Military Duty:Kings Company, Third Battalion, 21st Infantry Regimen, 24th Division, Korea; Medals:Korean War Medal, American Legion Medal,

United Nations Medal

Occupation:Worked for the National Conference of Christians and Jews from 1969-1998; At present, President of Princeton Associates,LLC Inc., a fund development corporation

Significant Community Activities:One of the Founders of Medgar Evers College in New York; One of the Founders of the Puerto Rican Institute, Seton Hall University; Honorary Chairman, Princeton Task Force on Ethics Annual Harmony Day Celebration in 1997; President of the Princeton Regional School Board of Education in 1997, 1998, 1999; President of the Mercer County School Boards Association in 1998 and 1999; Served on Governor Kean's Commission on Excellence in Education in 1984; Served on Governor Kean's Commission on Hispanic Affairs in 1985; Served on Governor Kean's Commission on Character and Values in the Public Schools in 1987; Served on County Executive Robert Prunetti's Blue Ribbon Commission for the Establishment of a High School for Science and Technology in Mercer County1999-2000; Chairman of the Board of Kean University in 1996, 1997-1998; Chairman of the Board of New Jersey State Colleges and Universities in 1999; Board of Princeton Task Force on Ethics from 1990-1999; Serving on the Beth Israel Medical Center Board in New York City since 1980; Serving on the Board of Kean University since 1994

Responses:

1. While I agree that the 19,000 motor vehicle accidents cost every year and the spread of Lyme Disease, as well as about $30,000,000 worth of damage by deer chewing on farm crops and landscaping every year is becoming intolerable and causing great pain to our fellow citizens, we must find regional solutions to this problem. This is no longer a local issue and Princeton township cannot manage it alone. A.comprehensive regional plan has to be worked out with our neighbors.

2. The role of the Township Committee in planning for Downtown Princeton becomes paramount and is a must. Our community cannot afford the luxury of doing things piecemeal and key community organizations going in different directions without collaborative planning for the future of Princeton; nor can we have any particular group in town taking the lead without involvement, participation and recognition of the need to forge ahead with a community team in this whole process.

3. Regarding traffic, our Princeton Community can no longer remain idle while state planners and bureaucrats make decisions which are harmful to this unique and extraordinary community. It is the duty of elected officials to bring all the powers of the community to bear on this issue and elected officials must be held accountable for their actions with respect to their inability to confront this problem.

4. The proposed one-cent open-space tax increase will require:

1. Full commitment by all elected officials and community leadership to open land preservation.

2. A working mechanism must be built to manage this issue.

3. Necessary revenues must be raised for the preservation and

enhancement of our open land.