In 2011 Princeton Township and Princeton Borough voted to merge into a single town, overcoming six decades of failed attempts. The consolidation of the Princetons is a victory for government reform advocates in a state of inefficient 'home rule' and overwhelming layers of government: 565 municipalities, 599 school districts and 21 county units. The first large-scale New Jersey municipal merger in over a century, Princeton's consolidation has generated considerable savings and operating efficiencies. Their success has provided a template for other towns to use in their own consolidation and service regionalization efforts. A Tale of Two Tigers tells the story of the consolidation, spearheaded by Princeton Township's last Mayor, Chad Goerner. He wrote the original proposal for the towns to develop a consolidation and shared services study commission and structured the process by researching Princeton's past consolidation failures. The book looks at the history of collaboration between the two towns and tells an important and sometimes comical, sometimes tragic, tale of the attempts to consolidate. It also serves as a how-to manual to advise and guide other officials seeking the advantages of consolidation and/or regionalized services.
About the Author: At the age of 21, Chad came to Princeton Township to start a new job. He ended up launching a new town. In 2006 when he walked into his first Princeton Community Democratic Organization meeting in order to meet people and get involved in the community, he had no idea of the impact he ultimately would have on the life of the community. A native New Jerseyan, Chad hails from Wantage Township in northern New Jersey's Sussex County (ironically, Wantage Township attempted to consolidate with Sussex Borough unsuccessfully in 2009). He left New Jersey to go to school - B.A. from George Washington University, followed by the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation from the CFP Board and the Certified Investment Manager Analyst (CIMA) designation in conjunction with IMCA and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Chad continues to advocate for policy changes to encourage municipal and school district consolidations and regionalized police and fire services. An expert on the issue of consolidation and shared services, he has delivered numerous speeches and presentations on the subject. He recently delivered the 2016 keynote address to the New York State Local Government Innovation Conference sponsored by the NY Division of Local Government Services.