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Princeton commissioners adopt resolution opposing several draft state bills, vote 4-0
Summary
The Princeton Board of Commissioners voted unanimously May 5 to send a letter to state lawmakers opposing seven draft House and Senate bills the town says would reduce local authority. The board approved the resolution and directed staff to send it to the town's legislators.
Princeton Board of Commissioners voted unanimously May 5 to adopt a resolution opposing several draft state bills and to send a letter to the town’s state representatives and senators.
The resolution, added to the meeting agenda by motion and approved by a 4-0 vote, lists House Bill 765, House Bill 627 and Senate bills 495, 497, 499, 587 and 688. The resolution says the measures would “take a lot of the authority away from the town” and described them as requiring one-off fixes for each municipality rather than preserving local control.
Commissioners discussed the potential effects of the bills before the motion. A commissioner told the board that if the bills were adopted, “we as local government… would not be able to have as much control over how things grew,” and urged the board to register opposition. After discussion a commissioner moved to send a letter to state lawmakers opposing the measures; the motion received a second and passed 4-0.
The board did not amend the text of the resolution in the meeting and directed staff to execute and send the letter once the board’s vote was recorded.
What the board approved
- Action: adopt and send a formal letter to state legislators opposing the listed draft bills. Motion approved 4-0. The motion language as recorded in the meeting: “send a letter to the state [pols] letting them know that we, as the commission of Princeton, oppose the proposed bills.” The mover was recorded in the meeting remarks as the commissioner who spoke in favor; the second was Commissioner Robinson. The board signed and approved the resolution for transmission to the town’s representatives.
Why it matters
Town officials said the bills would shift decision-making away from municipalities and make local planning and growth harder to manage. The resolution is intended to inform state lawmakers of the town’s formal opposition before any bill votes at the legislature.
Next steps
Staff will prepare and mail (or email) the resolution and the board-approved letter to the town’s state House and Senate representatives. The board did not set a follow-up timeline in the meeting.
