Michelle Pirone Lambros: Princeton Council Candidate Profile

PRINCETON, NJ — There is a contested race for the Princeton Town Council this upcoming November election with three candidates vying for two, three-year seats.

Democrat Michelle Pirone Lambros is running for town council. The other two candidates running include Democrat Mia Sacks and Independent Adam Bierman. The election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 5

Here is a look at who Lambros is and why she is running. Candidates were asked to answer the same questions and each candidate profile will be posted on Patch's site as it gets closer to the election.

Michelle Pirone Lambros

Describe yourself:

Name: Michelle Pirone Lambros
Town: Princeton
Age: 57
Family: I am a second-generation Italian American with roots in Princeton that date back 100 years. My great-grandparents and grandparents emigrated from Pettoranello, Italy, and were the stone masons and gardeners who built Princeton University. These Italians, like my mother's family, settled in the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood. My husband George Lambros and I have been married for 25 years and have three sons. Costas, a junior at Boston University and Elias and Andreas, who attend Princeton High School.

What experience do you have that would help you serve?

A robust and thriving local economy and business districts are vital to Princeton’s future and prosperity, and our businesses provide our community with the quality of life and character that we all cherish. I am a successful small business owner and entrepreneur with the skills and experience necessary to understand the complexities of building and supporting a local economy that enhances the community. I have built multiple small businesses, several of which I started
overseas, including national festivals involving hundreds of vendors and which required collaborating across government and private sectors; new product launches in Mexico; and a retail store in Florida.

I’ve raised six figure sponsorships, negotiated infrastructure contracts, built extensive promotional campaigns and have had profit and loss responsibility for multi-million-dollar budgets. I am experienced in devising solutions that bring together multiple stakeholders and finding common ground between competing agendas. Most recently, I produced the first-ever Princeton Restaurant Week. Successful government requires the same level of management and negotiation skills, the same dedication to collaboration and creativity, as successful business,
and I am the only candidate with those skills and experience.

I have served on Princeton’s Zoning Board and as a Board member of the Princeton Merchants Association. I have also been an active Board member of the PCDO and served as Nominating Committee Chair.

My skill set as an experienced entrepreneur will provide Princeton with the leadership and expertise it needs as we enter into negotiations with the University, arrive at affordable housing solutions and work with local merchants to the benefit of our local economy.

I have an M.A. in International Affairs from The George Washington University in Washington D.C. and a B.A. in Political Science from Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania.

What issues would you like to address in Princeton?

Housing Affordability: As Princeton becomes increasingly less affordable, the consequences of losing our middle class families is negatively impacting every aspect of our community. Most of my extended family has been forced to move out of Princeton. We must make sure that Princeton continues to provide the opportunities to build a better life for present and future generations as it did for my family two generations ago. We must find a path to increasing our inventory of housing to serve seniors, young families, service, and blue collar workers who no longer can afford Princeton.

Here are my ideas:

• Re-zoning to allow for more density through duplexes on single family lots and auxiliary units.
• Gaining better control on tear downs and more stringent requirements pre-tear down
• Loosen regulations on homeowners who want to improve their properties to age in place
• Greater municipal investment in affordable housing to meet our obligation, and mix with developer 20 percent set-asides, and work force housing for police, firefighters, teachers, etc. with rents a percentage of their salaries.
• Overall smart growth solutions for a bikeable/walkable Princeton.

Attract more investment and growth in our local economy. Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy. It is impossible to put a value on the convenience and character that our central shopping district provides our community. I believe the municipality can do more to support and encourage entrepreneurship such as:

• Streamline parking meter rates, reducing rates for first two hours
• Find real solutions to address the shortage of parking for residents, shoppers and employees in the downtown.
• Become business-friendly with less regulations on new business build outs and expansions
• Streamline signage regulations and way finding solutions
• Invest in our Streetscape project and promotion and outreach of Princeton businesses
• Create a "welcome kit" for new businesses on how-to’s of navigating our permitting processes.
• Encourage expansion of FreeB bus through private funding and better coordination with Tiger Transit
• Private funding for bike racks to encourage more biking, less parking, in the downtown

Creative Solutions to holding down property taxes.

Our property taxes price out older residents, municipal employees, teachers, and young families. There is currently only one state level program in place to freeze tax assessments for Seniors, and it is very limited. Here are my ideas:

• Maximize relationships and innovate shared services with school district
• Create new municipal revenue streams such as ratables for Air BnBs
• Increase income through revitalizing business growth
• Increase the University's contribution through renegotiation of the Voluntary Payment and finding strategic ways to partner with the University and its growth plans
• Learn from best practices in other university towns and find applicable solutions for Princeton

Improve Services for the Under-Served Population

• Princeton needs an urgent care center. No one should have to take a bus with a sick child to the hospital.
• Laundromats in the Witherspoon Jackson Neighborhood
• Improve public transportation so that people without cars can get around town.
• Create a community center to serve the needs of the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood

Why should voters vote for you?

Housing affordability, and addressing the needs of our underserved population are main priorities for me. I recognize the importance of supporting our business community and growing our local economy. Princeton is facing challenges, and I have the experience and expertise to provide the leadership we need on negotiating with the university, growing our local economy and controlling the rise in property taxes. Our love and attachment to Princeton’s history and traditions cannot blind us to the needs of the present and the challenges of the future. In fact, the way we respect and preserve our history is by making sure our community adapts and innovates to ensure our future prosperity.

If elected, I will establish weekly hours to meet with constituents. I will work hard to represent the best interests of our residents and our community and make sure your government is responsive, accountable and transparent. I am grateful for the support my campaign has received from Princeton voters and am looking forward to serving the community.

— (If you are a candidate and would like to participate in the election profile, email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com)

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