Princeton Finds $40,000 for an Office, but Not for an Audit
By Bakr Al Qaraghuli, Editor
September 15, 2025
For months, residents have been told the budget is tight, that shifting money would harm departments, and that we barely have enough for essentials. That was Councilman Ben Long’s message on September 8. A week later, Councilmember Terrance Johnson - Princeton City Council, Place 1 posted a contractor quote that told a different story: City MGR Conversion, $39,642.12. An office renovation. Not police. Not fire. Not roads. An office.
The manager’s job vs. reality
Princeton’s council–manager system makes the City Manager the chief executive. He runs departments, prepares and enforces the budget, plans for growth, ensures core services keep up, and opens the books when residents demand it. That is his job.
Instead, Princeton, the fastest-growing city in America, had to impose and extend a moratorium on housing because roads, utilities, and public safety lagged. This isn’t “growing pains.” It’s a failure to plan. And in this system, that failure belongs to the City Manager.
Priorities backwards
KERA reports the new budget does not fund a forensic audit, even though residents demanded it and two council members voted for it. We are told an audit costs too much. Yet $40,000 for an office renovation is on the table. Budgets are about priorities. These are backwards.
On March 25, 2024, Council amended the City Manager’s contract in closed session. His pay was secured. Performance triggers that protect residents were not. Compensation was handled. Accountability ignored.
Failures, point by point
- Growth: A moratorium proves planning failed. Infrastructure and safety couldn’t keep pace.
- Budget: A full audit, the tool to protect taxpayers, was left out.
- Services: The city admits police, fire, and utilities are strained. Scaling up was the manager’s job.
- Transparency: Residents asked for audits. The manager excluded them.
- Stewardship: Spending $40,000 on an office while denying an audit is mismanagement.
What $40,000 could do instead
- 600+ hours of police overtime patrols.
- One patrol vehicle or firefighter gear sets.
- Half a mile of road resurfaced or dozens of potholes patched.
- A partial forensic audit to uncover waste and recover funds.
Instead, it’s going to an office makeover in a building that isn’t old.
What residents should demand
- Freeze nonessential upgrades until police, fire, roads, and utilities meet clear thresholds.
- Fund a forensic audit, even phased, to track every tax dollar.
- Tie the City Manager’s pay to results residents can see: safety, roads, and growth capacity.
Why this matters
A city that says it can’t afford oversight but can afford a $40,000 office is a city mismanaged. The City Manager writes the budget, executes the plan, and delivers services. If they’re falling short, and they are, the accountability is his. If Council keeps protecting him, they are complicit.
Who stood up
Councilmember Terrance Johnson - Princeton City Council, Place 1 exposed the renovation bid. Councilmember Cristina Todd-Princeton City Council, Place 2 joined him in voting against a budget that skipped an audit. They proved accountability is possible when officials choose residents over insiders.
Princeton deserves a clean slate: honesty, transparency, and money spent on basics first, not on office makeovers.