By Liz Lempert

Local governments everywhere are faced with a tough challenge: how to manage increasing costs — especially for health care and pensions — without cutting back on important services or burdening residents with always-ballooning property taxes

PRINCETON - Paving the way can be a bumpy ride sometimes. There are the accolades and the state spotlight for being a leader, and then there’s difficulty of blazing a trail into uncharted territory. Princeton traveled that rocky road as it consolidated last year from two towns into one. 

It’s easy to dismiss the successful consolidation of two New Jersey municipalities that share a name–Princeton township and borough–as well as a Zip code, an affluent citizenry, similar debt loads and real estate taxes, 13 shared services including a library and school district, and a political culture that seems so, well, forward-thinking. What possible relevance could the Princetons’ experience have for other budget-stressed communities, given the always fractious politics of local-government consolidation and service-sharing?   

In the wake of the Jan. 1 consolidation of Princeton Borough and Princeton Township, which represented the first merger of a New Jersey municipality in 15 years, Princeton is now serving as a model for other municipalities considering consolidation. With the help of Courage to Connect New Jersey, some of the state’s smaller municipalities are learning about the practical procedures and consequences of consolidation.

PRINCETON TOWNSHIP, NJ – Former Princeton Township Mayor Chad Goerner, a leader in the successful consolidation of Princeton Township and Princeton Borough on January 1, was today appointed to the Board of Directors for Courage to Connect New Jersey, a non-profit, non-political organization that assists citizens and elected officials through the state’s municipal consolidation process.   

PRINCETON- “Savings” was the battle cry during the campaign for consolidation of the Princetons.

When Chad Goerner was first elected to the Princeton Township Committee in 2006, his priority was to finally merge the township with Princeton Borough — a cost-cutting move more than 50 years in the making.  

The Transition Task Force published a draft of its final report on Monday as the process of preparing Princeton Borough and Princeton Township to merge on Jan. 1, 2013, approaches its last stages.   

No man's land? A boy rides his bike near the border of the two Princetons, which is being dissolved. (JULIO CORTEZ / Associated Press)