Princeton's department heads now run their own construction projects on top of their daily jobs, and no single employee keeps a citywide schedule, cost forecast or closeout record for them. A budget change on the City Council's agenda Monday, Nov. 9, would create one.
The council will consider reappropriating up to $180,000 in the 2027 budget for a Capital Improvement Program manager, a position the city manager is creating. A memo from Alternate City Manager David Hall puts the salary midpoint at $130,810 and the full yearly cost with benefits at $176,620.
Equipment, estimated at up to $5,000, falls outside the request, and finance staff will find a separate source for it.
The pay would come from bond-funded projects rather than the general budget. Finance would charge the manager's time to each project based on recorded hours, the memo says, and bill general administrative work to an operating account. No new bond sale is proposed.
Bond money largely untouched
A finance reconciliation attached to the item shows how much of the 2025 general obligation bond money is still waiting. The first tranche raised $55.05 million and has earned about $2.16 million in interest. About $10.88 million, or 19.8% of project budgets, had been drawn through Sept. 30, leaving an account balance of $46.34 million.
Four projects have not drawn anything: $15.045 million for recreation amenities at GaTx Land & Cattle, $15 million for site work at the PARC, $11 million for the third phase of Caldwell Park and $1 million for a library. Those $42.05 million make up the funding base for the manager's first year.
The Parks and Recreation Building and the first two phases of Caldwell Park, each more than 83% drawn, were left out.
The city has paid EPT Commercial since May 2024 to advise on parks bond projects under a contract of up to $161,500. Staff will decide whether those services continue once the new manager's duties are set.
