Mia Sacks Announces Reelection Bid To Princeton Council In 2025

PRINCETON, NJ — Princeton Council President Mia Sacks has announced she will be seeking another term this November.

First elected to Council in 2019, Sacks has been a strong advocate for open space preservation and stewardship and has chaired several important committees, including affordable housing, and planning and redevelopment.

This November, two council seats will be up for election. In February, Councilwoman Michelle Pirone Lambros announced she will be seeking reelection for a third term.

Some of Sacks’ highlights on Council, including overseeing the implementation of Princeton’s affordable housing obligation and chairing the Dog Park Task Force which resulted in the creation of a 1.7 acre dog park in the community.

This year’s Primary Election will be held Tuesday, June 10, and the General Election on Tuesday, Nov 4.

Sacks released the following statement, published in full below:

For the last five years, three as Council President, Mia Sacks chaired Princeton Council’s Infrastructure and Operations Committee, the Legal and Governance Committees, the Affordable Housing, Planning and Redevelopment Committee, and served on the Princeton Planning Board. She has been an integral member of the Finance, Personnel, Code Review, and Traffic Safety Committees, and served as Council Liaison to the Princeton School Board, Sustainable Princeton, and the Friends of Herrontown Woods.

“My commitment to Princeton has always been about one thing: giving back to my hometown. For me, this isn’t about politics—it’s about investing in the future of Princeton -- which means balancing growth with sustainability; strengthening our infrastructure; ensuring our public school system has the resources it needs; and creating an environment in which small businesses can thrive. Most importantly, it’s about making Princeton a place where our children will want and can afford to return.”

Efficient, accessible government has been a top priority of the Council President who has worked to coordinate disparate departments and streamline municipal functions for greater operational and cost effectiveness. Together with Municipal Administrator Bernard Hvozdovic, Sacks and her colleagues on the Personnel Committee led an organization-wide restructuring of the municipality that resulted in a more coherent organizational structure with two integrated spheres of operation -- Infrastructure and Operation, and Health and Community Services -- led respectively by Deputy Administrators Deanna Stockton and Jeff Grosser.

Councilwoman Sacks has been a strong advocate for open space preservation and stewardship, collaborating with Mercer County, and local and state open space partners, to preserve more than 200 acres of environmentally sensitive land within Princeton.

As liaison to Sustainable Princeton, Sacks expedited progress on Princeton’s Climate Action Plan goals and prioritized climate change mitigation and resilience policies throughout the municipality. In recent years, the town adopted a cart-based system to reduce waste and provided food scrap drop off locations. Princeton is working to be one of the first towns in the state to implement a stormwater utility and to establish a community solar program for low and moderate income households.

A vocal public transit advocate, Sacks worked with Princeton’s Public Transit Advisory Committee to implement short term modifications and lay the foundation for long term solutions to Princeton’s urgent public transit needs. Sacks was responsible for transitioning the municipality to a new system and service provider that enabled the town to partner with the University in coordinating and linking routes for expanded access throughout Princeton.

Sacks, together with council colleagues Niedergang and Pirone Lambros, spent several years meeting with Princeton University representatives to establish a new framework for shared priorities focused on sustainability, resiliency, socioeconomic diversity, emergency services, public transit and municipal infrastructure. The discussions led to a commitment from the university to a series of planned contributions totalling $50 million over five years.

As Chair of Council’s Affordable Housing, Planning and Redevelopment Committee, Sacks oversaw implementation of Princeton’s Third Round Mt. Laurel affordable housing obligation. The town’s focus on redevelopment and revitalizing stranded assets was recognized by New Jersey Future with a 2024 Smart Growth Award as “a model for how strategic redevelopment can knit together and revitalize a community by building on existing assets.”

Councilwoman Sacks spearheaded passage of the state’s first Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance, in Princeton, which became a model for other towns throughout New Jersey. Known around the state for her experience and expertise in local planning, zoning, and housing challenges, Sacks testifies regularly in the state legislature and represents Princeton frequently as a panelist for events convened by organizations such as the Regional Plan Association and Urban Land Institute. She is a recipient of the Distinguished Civic Leadership Award from the NJ chapter of the American Planning Association.

The Council President represents Princeton as a member of the League of Municipalities Legislative Land Use, Environmental & Community Development Committee, and served on the League’s Affordable Housing Working Group that provided input from local elected leaders into the 4th Round affordable housing legislation A4/S50, enacted in 2024. Sacks serves on the Advisory Committee for New Jersey Future’s Great Neighborhoods for All initiative, a state-wide coalition working to strengthen local planning and to reform state policies that increase housing affordability and common-sense land use.

For decades, Princeton residents lamented the lack of a dog park in town. Chairing the Dog Park Task force before election to Council, Sacks continued to lead the charge in office, citing “the well-documented benefits — social, emotional and physical — to both humans and their canine companions.” Princeton now has a thriving 1.7 acre dog park located within the Community Park recreational complex as well as permitted off leash hours in a centrally-located designation. Terms on Princeton Council are for three years.

Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com