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City Council Tracker / Monday, April 27, 2026
I1 high priority Recorded vote

Appointment of Chief James Waters as alternate city manager for the City of Princeton

After executive session, council approved the appointment of Chief James Waters as alternate city manager on a 6-0 vote.

Vote Tracker

Approved 6-0 after executive session.

Motion by: Bryan Washington Second by: Terrance Johnson

Eugene Escobar Jr.

Mayor

not voting

Terrance Johnson

Place 1

yes

Cristina Todd

Place 2

yes

Bryan Washington

Place 3

yes

Vacant

Place 4

vacant

Steve Deffibaugh

Place 5

yes

Ben Long

Place 6

yes

Carolyn David-Graves

Place 7

yes

Why This Matters

Leadership continuity matters more in a fast-growing city, not less. Council came out of executive session and approved making Chief James Waters the alternate city manager. Bryan Washington made the motion and Terrance Johnson seconded it, giving the city a formal alternate management appointment during an active leadership transition.

Why we flagged it: This is a meaningful governance and continuity decision because it affects who can step into management authority during a period of instability and active recruitment.

What approval means

The city has a formally approved alternate city manager in place while the broader management situation continues to evolve.

If it had failed

Council likely would have needed a different continuity plan or a return item for alternate management authority.

Potential Pros

  • Adds continuity during a period of leadership transition.
  • Creates a clear public vote record on who can fill that role.

Potential Cons

  • The public may still want a fuller explanation of how the alternate role will be used.
  • Leadership reshuffling can also signal deeper instability rather than calm.

Tracker Note

This tracker entry is based on the official agenda and the meeting notes currently captured by The Princeton Journal. If official minutes, video, or backup records clarify anything further, the tracker can be updated to match the final record.