Princeton Mayor & Councilmen Sworn In, Niedergang Bids Farewell

PRINCETON, NJ – The Princeton Municipality Reorganization meeting held on Tuesday saw two councilmen and mayor take the oath of office and a former councilperson bid goodbye.

The evening saw Gov. Phil Murphy and state Sen. Andrew Zwicker in attendance. Murphy was present to administer the oath of office to Mayor Mark Freda who will start his second term in office.

First-time Councilman Brian McDonald and incumbent Leighton Newlin took their oath of office in presence of family members.

Outgoing Councilwoman Eve Niedergang reflected on her six-year tenure on the council, expressing gratitude to family, colleagues, and community partners for their support and contributions.

Niedergang did not seek another term in office during the election has year.

During her speech to the community, Niedergang highlighted the importance of collaboration.

Her “lessons learned” include the necessity of compromise, as seen in the regulation of gas leaf blowers, and the value of trusting and sometimes changing decisions.

She also cited the example of the cannabis dispensary and said she failed as a leader for not finding a solution that was acceptable to all.

“Although I continue to believe that a cannabis dispensary makes sense for Princeton because a dispensary and its revenue could have been used to promote equity goals, early in the public discussions on this issue, there may have been an opportunity for compromise on a potential dispensary location. At that point, I didn't think compromise was necessary. I now think that my failure to seek a compromise was a failure of leadership, and I regret that I didn't try to find a solution that was acceptable to all,” Niedergang said.

She emphasize the significance of leadership and acknowledge the contributions of key individuals in these roles.

Living in a town of smart, passionate, well-informed people results in a constant flow of input from the community to the governing body,” Neidergang said.

While we don’t always love hearing criticism, your ideas make us and the town better.”

Post Neidergang’s comments, it was time for Newlin to be sworn in. Former Trenton Mayor, Douglas H Palmer administered the oath of office to Newlin. This is his second term.

Meanwhile, Sen. Andrew Zwicker (NJ-16) administered the oath of office to first-time councilman McDonald.

Councilman David Cohen nominated Council President Mia Sacks to continue in her role and she was reelected unanimously.

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