Agreement reached over Princeton Public Library funding, Council adopts budget

The Princeton Council and Princeton Public Library announced a deal over municipal funding for the library at the Council’s Monday meeting. Funding for the library has been the subject of disagreement and public discourse over the past month, with the library requesting $149,000 more than what the Council had previously proposed during the budget introduction.

Under the deal, which was approved unanimously by councilmembers, the municipality will increase funding for the library by $75,000. In exchange, the number of reserved parking spaces for library employees at the municipal-run Spring Street Garage will be reduced by 10, down from 50. The remaining funds requested by the library will be raised through the library’s own fundraising efforts.

The municipality funds roughly 75 percent of the library’s budget. Initially, members of the municipality had proposed eliminating the two-hour free parking at Spring Street Garage provided to library cardholders as a way to cover the cost of the increased funding. Some residents expressed opposition to such a change, citing concerns including library accessibility. The free parking benefit will not be eliminated.

The increased funding from the municipality will come from its surplus funds, meaning that taxes will not be increased as a result of the deal. Princeton Public Library Board of Trustees President Christopher Van Buren ’84, through Princeton Public Library Director of Marketing and Communications Shannon Hurley, shared that the library has not finalized plans on how it will raise its portion of the funds.

“Princeton Public Library’s Board of Trustees is actively evaluating a range of potential revenue strategies and cost-management approaches,” Hurley shared with the ‘Prince.’ “In the meantime, we remain confident in our ability to meet the agreed-upon budget goals through a thoughtful and balanced approach.”

At the meeting, Council President Michelle Pirone Lambros read a joint statement from the municipality and the library.

“The municipality is proud to support the library and the high-quality services that you provide to the community. At the same time, the library recognizes the importance of fiscal responsibility and the municipality’s obligation to taxpayers,” she said. “This agreement reflects a shared commitment to working together and continuing to serve the Princeton community in a thoughtful and sustainable way.”

“I wanted to thank the mayor, Council president, head of the Finance Committee, and the entire Council for working with the library to come to this agreement,” Van Buren said at the meeting.

Although the revised budget passed unanimously, some residents still shared some concerns with the Council about the budget process. Over the past week, members of the governing body, which consists of the mayor and councilmembers, and the library have traded opposing public statements.

“I’ve been very distressed over the past few weeks over the misleading statements that the Mayor and the Council have made about the budget. I’ve been in Princeton 42 years, and I’ve had many disagreements, but I always trusted the people up on the dais. I’m sorry that you’re killing that trust among me and my friends and many Princeton residents,” Sheila Siderman, a resident and longtime donor to the library, said at the meeting.

Siderman is also the president of the Friends of the Davis International Center, a volunteer organization that works with the University’s Davis International Center.

Mayor Mark Freda, in response, argued that any inaccurate information could not be solely blamed on the governing body.

“I will admit that there was misinformation, and for anyone to think misinformation was 100 percent [the fault of] this body is incorrect,” Freda said.

Councilmember Mia Sacks described the public disagreements as “unfortunate.”

“In a time when the federal government is attacking universities, public education, supporting book burning, I am so proud to be in a town like Princeton where the issue that gives us a full room like this is residents who come out to support our public library,” Sacks added. Over 40 people attended the meeting in-person, and many were there to show support for the library.

Shira Kremer-Godelnik, a senior at Princeton High School and a member of the library’s Teen Advisory Board, called on the Council to do more outreach to hear youth opinions.

“It was hard for me to find information or find ways to give feedback about the budget, and I think that, as a community, we should really work towards connecting with the youth … and giving them opportunities to be aware of the budget and to give their public opinion,” Kremer-Godelnik said.

Councilmember Leighton Newlin shifted the focus away from solely the library. He pointed to “needs that do not always have a voice, a campaign, or a public relations push behind them.”

“When we talk about equity, it cannot stop at the library doors. It must extend to how we allocate resources across human services, affordable housing, public health, and the many unseen needs in our community,” Newlin said.

Besides adopting the 2026 budget, the Council also passed a resolution which designated the Westminster Choir College campus as an area in need of redevelopment (AINR). The property was acquired by the municipality last April, and the Council has been discussing what should be done on the land.

The AINR designation allows typical zoning laws, which restrict what can be built on the land, to be bypassed. A report from the planning firm Topology previously concluded that the property met multiple criteria needed for such a designation, including buildings that are “substandard, unsafe, unsanitary, dilapidated, or obsolescent.”

The Princeton Council typically meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7 p.m. Its next meeting will be held on May 11.

Oliver Wu is the assistant News editor for the ‘Prince’ leading town coverage, focused on the Municipality of Princeton and beyond. He is from Stony Brook, N.Y. and can be reached at oliver.wu[at]dailyprincetonian.com.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.