PRINCETON — The savings that encouraged the former borough and township of Princeton to merge into a single town started to appear last night as the town introduced a $61 million budget and announced a tax rate decrease of just under 1 percent.

The budget is the united town’s first and roughly $3 million less than what the 2012 combined budgets were for the former township and borough.

Taxpayers will also see a slight decrease in their municipal tax rate. Whereas both towns paid roughly 47 cents per $100 of assessed property value last year, the new rate will be 46.3 cents, thanks to the merger.

“We’re paying less money in 2013 … than we were in 2009,” town administrator Bob Bruschi said. “We’re in a pretty strong financial position.”

The consolidation of the former borough and township was pitched to Princeton taxpayers as a way to save money, thin staff and maximize services.

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