Candidate Profile: Antonio Merolli For Princeton Council

PRINCETON, NJ — Antonio Merolli, a Republican, is running for a seat on Princeton Council in the Nov. 3 general election.

Merolli, 64, has lived in Princeton for nearly seven years. He spent his career as a university orthopedic surgeon and biomaterials researcher and now teaches anatomy and physiology part time at Union College of New Jersey.

He says the budget is the most pressing issue facing Princeton. He wants no tax increases, no new bonds and a plan to pay down the town’s debt. He is also calling for a three-year moratorium on new housing development and the end of payment in lieu of taxes, or PILOT, agreements.

Three candidates are running for two open seats on the council.

Patch asked each candidate to answer the same set of questions. Merolli’s responses are below:

About Me

Name: Antonio Merolli

Age (as of Election Day): 64

Town of residence / neighborhood: Princeton NJ

How long have you lived in Princeton? Nearly seven years

Position sought: Princeton Municipal Council

Party affiliation: Republican

Family: Three grown-up children that, after higher education in New Jersey, selected England, Italy and the US, respectively, to live their adult life. Loved ones and family ties from Italy and Korea; and don't forget a cousin in Connecticut.

Education: MD and Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery at the Catholic University in Rome, "Gemelli" Medical School.

Occupation: Part-time teaching of Anatomy & Physiology at the UCNJ (Union College of New Jersey) after a career spent as a university orthopedic surgeon and biomaterial researcher.

Previous or current elected or appointed office (including Princeton boards, commissions and committees): youngest ever elected officer at the Board of Education in Italy (maybe not exactly the same as in the US) when I was 13 years old. Member of the board of the 501(c3) non-profit "Philadelphia Bronze" hand-bell choir. Former member of the Westminster Community Orchestra.

Campaign website and social media: https://www.facebook.com/antonio.merolli

1. Why are you seeking a seat on Princeton Council?

To bring a true opposition without special interests to protect. I will be the "eyes and ears" of the Princeton citizens in the seclusive council.

2. What sets you apart from the other candidates in this race?

I am not involved in the building spree that has architects and developers, plus the investments behind them, dominating Princeton civic life for more than 20 years.

3. "The single most pressing issue facing Princeton is the BUDGET, and this is what I intend to do about it."

Fix the budget. No increase in taxes. No more issuing of bonds. A plan to recover from the enormous debt that, otherwise, will be left to our children (if they remain in Princeton). If the hike in taxes could be stopped in the first year, we may even think about reducing taxes from the second year (I am not a politician and I do not want to promise what I cannot keep; no increase in taxes will be already a great achievement).

4. The 2026 municipal budget rose 6.85 percent to $84.8 million, driven largely by a 36 percent jump in employee health insurance costs and debt payments. Council also passed a cap bank ordinance to allow spending above the state's 2 percent limit. What specific steps would you take to keep property taxes in check? Where would you look for savings or new revenue?

I do not agree that the rise in the municipal budget was driven largely by employee health insurance costs. It was mostly debt payments and waste. Of course, the council passed a cap bank ordinance to allow spending above the state's 2 percent limit; who cares: it is not their money, it is ours. Property taxes will be reduced when the wasting of public money ends. Savings can be done as soon as the citizens will access "every receipt" and the cut in wasting will begin.

5. Residents are also paying more for parking , sewer service and utilities. What would you do to keep Princeton affordable for seniors, young families and people who work here?

Stop wasting money on special interests (consultants, for example), it is just that simple. In a healthy and compassionate society, senior citizens and young families should pay almost nothing.

6. The mayor and council urged the state DEP to deny an air permit for a proposed data center in neighboring South Brunswick. What else, if anything, should Princeton do to protect residents?

There are State and Federal Laws that will protect the citizens of Princeton. Other communities in other States have apparently solved these issues positively by following the laws. You have to enforce the laws, though. Princeton council should enforce the laws.

7. The town's "One Code" zoning rewrite could allow more accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and "cottage courts," and has raised the idea of eliminating parking minimums. Where do you stand on adding density, and how would you balance new housing with neighborhood character?

I want to be extremely clear: the housing spree seems, in my opinion, very close to a scheme between developers and politicians. I will ask for a "moratorium", a temporary stop until we have a clear and open assessment of our finances. We should assess the real benefit for the Princeton citizens first.

8. Princeton must meet its Fourth Round affordable housing obligations, and some neighbors have pushed back on projects. How should the town meet its obligations while addressing residents' concerns about notice, traffic and stormwater?

Strange to feel compelled to meet "some obligations" but not others? Please, let's stop this game: nobody has the obligation to support real estate speculation. We can have a three-year moratorium, in the three years of my mandate, to assess the best interest for Princeton citizens.

9. How would you approach the town's relationship with Princeton University, including voluntary payments (PILOTs) and the university's growth plans?

Princeton University is a key player in the life of the town, the State and the Nation. Its plans are relevant not only to the Princeton citizens but, sometimes, to the world. However, I declared from the very first day of my campaign that the "Pay In Lieu Of Taxes" (PILOT) should be abolished. PILOT was born for noble purposes a long time ago but has now deranged as a gift to developers. Please, let everybody "Pay All That You Owe" (PATYO). If ordinary citizens must pay taxes, everybody must pay taxes.

10. What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I still manage my personal budget. I managed, as Treasurer, the "nearly extinct" Italian Society for Biomaterials when I was left with $50 on the account from the previous management. With me, society was reborn. I was an auditor in the European Society for Biomaterials (about 30 nations) and checked all the bills and receipts, together with a Swedish and a British colleague. Then I became Treasurer of the society because "they wanted me to experience the pain of an audit like that". Under my tenure, the society expanded and thrived. Finally, I spent little money on my campaign: if I manage the Princeton finance as I managed my campaign, you can bet that taxes in Princeton will go down.

11. The best advice ever shared with me was:

"Take your work seriously, but don't take yourself too seriously", from the late Professor Lelio Orci, University of Geneva, Swiss (the discoverer of the three-dimensional arrangement of the pancreatic endocrine cells).

12. Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself or your campaign?

I came to Princeton to retire. I did not need to be involved in politics. However, I could not stand that everybody was complaining about the administration, but nobody was taking any action. I want to be an example: please, follow me and get involved in the government of your town; otherwise, special interests of others will take over.

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