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Princeton council adopts fiscal 2025–26 budget after councilor objects to $25,000 Chamber payment
Summary
The Princeton City Council approved ordinance O-25-009 on its second and final reading to adopt the fiscal 2025–26 budget. A council member said they would approve the budget but objected to a $25,000 payment listed under economic development to the Princeton Chamber of Commerce; the objection was noted but the ordinance passed.
The Princeton City Council adopted ordinance O-25-009, the city’s fiscal year 2025–26 budget, on its second and final reading after a brief procedural debate and a recorded objection to a $25,000 line-item payment to the Princeton Chamber of Commerce.
A council member said, “I will approve the entire budget. But I take exception to line number 11-000-741. This is under economic development. And there's a $25,000 payment to the Princeton Chamber of Commerce that I don't think is justified.” The mayor acknowledged the objection and the council proceeded to vote on the ordinance.
The objection was raised as a point of order about parliamentary procedure for recording exceptions and objections; the speaker requested that the objection be noted in the minutes for vote number 4. The mayor and other council members discussed the correct order for making and ruling on objections under council procedure before continuing to the roll call.
On the third call of the roll the council recorded affirmative votes and adopted ordinance O-25-009. The transcript does not record any council vote against the ordinance or an amendment removing the $25,000 line item; the objection was recorded but did not alter the ordinance text in the meeting record.
Why it matters: the annual budget authorizes city expenditures for the coming fiscal year, and line items such as economic development grants or payments are discretionary allocations the council reviews during the budget process. The council’s decision to adopt the budget despite the recorded objection leaves the $25,000 Chamber payment listed in the adopted ordinance as presented in the packet, with the objecting member’s dissent noted in the meeting record.
The council’s vote on the budget was one of several formal actions taken at the meeting; other items, including labor agreements and equipment/contract awards, were acted on separately (see “Votes at a glance” article for the full list).
