How Princeton is run
Who runs Princeton, what it costs, and where your money goes
The city manager, council pay, the budget, your property tax bill and who provides each service, from Princeton's own public documents. Every number links to its source and says which year it describes. Checked Oct 10, 2026.
Who runs Princeton
The elected mayor heads the city government and appoints its top administrator and department heads. The council passes laws, adopts the budget and sets the tax rate.
What they are paid
Princeton city staff
231 full-time-equivalent positions. 2026. Employees in the 2026 general (Current Fund) budget, down from 235 in 2025. The parking utility budget lists another 13. Princeton · Apr 27, 2026
The adopted budget gives head counts. Salary ordinances set pay ranges by position; we found no list of individual employee pay. We name pay only for elected officials and the city manager.
Is Princeton in the red?
Cities must pass a balanced budget, so "profit" and "deficit" mean something different here. The useful questions: does the city's everyday money (the general fund) cover its everyday costs, how much does it keep in savings compared with its own target, and how big are its pension and debt bills.
The city's own outlook
The 2026 budget keeps the municipal tax levy increase to 3%. The city says state health benefit premiums rose 36%, adding about $1.8 million, and that its forecasts show economic stressors will persist, requiring Council to make difficult decisions in the future. The budget uses $12.83M of surplus, up from $11.75M in 2025. Princeton · Jul 1, 2026
Savings
Unassigned general fund balance: $29.9M (2025-12-31). Princeton · Jul 2, 2026
Why we skip the "budgeted deficit": many cities plan to dip into savings, then spend less than planned. The audited result tells you what really happened.
Where the money comes from and goes
The general fund only: the city's everyday money for 2026.
Comes from
- Property tax for municipal purposes$39.3M · 46%
- Fund balance (surplus) used$12.8M · 15%
- Sewer rentals (fees)$7.8M · 9%
- Princeton University fair share payment$5.6M · 7%
- Library property tax$3.8M · 5%
- State energy receipts tax aid$2.5M · 3%
- Parking utility surplus$2.1M · 2%
- Other (fees, PILOTs, interest, delinquent taxes, grants)$10.9M · 13%
Goes to (2026)
- Operating expenses other than salaries and group insurance$28.8M · 34%
- Salaries and wages$23.6M · 28%
- Debt service$14.5M · 17%
- Group insurance for employees$7.4M · 9%
- Deferred charges and statutory expenditures$6.4M · 8%
- Reserve for uncollected taxes$3.3M · 4%
- Other (capital improvements)$1M · 1%
Your property tax bill: who gets it
Princeton collects one property tax bill and passes most of it on: about 48% goes to the local schools and about 30% to Mercer County. The municipality's own share, including the library and open space, is about 22%.
22¢
of each property-tax dollar goes to the city of Princeton
- Princeton Public Schools (local school district)1.315 · 48%
- Mercer County (including county open space)0.824 · 30%
- Princeton (municipal, including library and open space)0.594 · 22%
- Total ($ per $100 of assessed value)2.733
2025 tax rates for a property in Princeton (Mercer County). Princeton · Jul 2, 2026
Who provides your services
Not everything in Princeton is run by the city. Who provides a service decides whose budget pays for it and whose election decides it.
- PoliceThe cityPrinceton Police DepartmentPrinceton · Apr 27, 2026
- 911 dispatchThe cityPrinceton Police Department (Police Dispatch / 911)Princeton · Apr 27, 2026
- FireThe cityPrinceton Fire DepartmentVolunteer fire companies are not part of the municipal financial statements.Princeton · Apr 27, 2026
- StreetsThe cityPrinceton (Road Repair & Maintenance)Princeton · Apr 27, 2026
- ParksThe cityPrinceton (Maintenance of Parks & Playgrounds)Princeton · Apr 27, 2026
Compared with similar cities
The cities in this state closest in population that we cover. Read it for scale, not as a ranking: cities provide different services.
| Per city | GlassboroNJ | ParamusNJ | RahwayNJ | PrincetonNJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 24,483 | 26,723 | 31,010 | 31,469 |
| Top administrator's base pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Council member pay | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| General fund per resident | $1,401 | $3,672 | $2,574 | $2,698 |
| Debt per resident | $1,856 | $1,682 | $2,892 | $4,151 |
| Unfunded pension per resident | $1,108 | $2,325 | $1,359 | $1,141 |
| City staff per 1,000 residents | — | — | — | 7.3 |
Figures as shown in each city's section, divided by its population. Years differ by state, and pension figures are measured differently in each state (each city page says how).
What Princeton publishes
What a resident can find online today. A "no" is something you can ask the council to publish.
- Yes: Adopted budget posted onlineThe 2026 adopted budget, user-friendly budget and budget newsletter are posted on the Finance page, with earlier years. Princeton
- No: City manager's contract findable onlineWe found no contract or document stating the Administrator's pay. The salary ordinance gives no range for the Administrator's class. Princeton · Jun 22, 2026
- Yes: Council votes recorded member by member onlineCouncil minutes record roll call votes by name, including the 5-0 vote adopting the 2026 budget with one member absent. Princeton · Apr 27, 2026
- No: Council pay stated in a public documentWe found no document stating the mayor's or council members' pay. The salary ordinance covers staff positions only. Princeton · Jun 22, 2026
- Partly: Employee pay publishedThe salary ordinance sets pay ranges by class of position. We found no list of individual employee pay. Princeton · Jun 22, 2026
Questions to ask your council
- Princeton's Current Fund balance rose by $4.7 million to $29.9 million in 2025, and the 2026 budget uses $12.83 million of it as revenue. How much surplus should the city keep in reserve?
- Debt issued and outstanding grew to $130.6 million at the end of 2025, with $75.6 million more authorized. Which projects will that borrowing pay for, and how will debt service of $14.48 million in 2026 change?
- Princeton's share of state pension liabilities was $35.9 million at June 30, 2025. How will rising pension contributions fit into future budgets?
- The 2026 budget counts $5.62 million from Princeton University's fair share payment. How is that payment set, and how would the budget change without it?
Princeton's budget year is the calendar year. The council introduced the 2026 budget on March 23, 2026, held a public hearing on April 27, 2026, and amended and adopted it the same night. See who is running for council
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