Mayor Singh Delivers Rare Sharp Rebuttal from Dais in Defense of Local Businesses

Nicholas Mistretta

At the May 28 special meeting of the Montgomery Township Committee, Mayor Neena Singh delivered a rare and impassioned rebuke in response to a resident’s repeated criticism of a local farm’s use of the word “Princeton” in its business name—an issue the mayor deemed both misplaced and detrimental to the township’s business climate.

Without mentioning any individual by name, Singh addressed the issue pointedly:
“I would like to address one thing that is really concerning—for a township resident to continue bringing up the fact that this farm uses the name ‘Princeton.’ I think if there is a business in our town, and they are paying taxes to us—even as a farm with a different tax structure—then they are contributing to our township.”

Singh went on to cite numerous businesses operating within Montgomery Township that incorporate “Princeton” in their names, including Princeton Airport, Princeton Jaguar, and Princeton Audi. “There are a lot of businesses with the name ‘Princeton,’” she said. “To me, if you are a business in Montgomery and you’re paying your taxes to Montgomery and you have ‘Princeton’ in your name, we are not going to throw you out. We appreciate you. We appreciate that you are here. You are supporting our township.”

Deputy Mayor Vincent Barragan echoed the mayor’s sentiments, noting, “We have residents in town that actually have a Princeton mailing address. It’s a business owner’s prerogative to call their business what they’d like.”

Singh agreed, adding a sharper critique:
“It’s really concerning when residents that have previously served on this committee start nitpicking on businesses. We appreciate our businesses. We held an Innovation Summit recently with state agencies present, focused on ensuring our business community has the support and resources they need. This comment today really upset me. I don’t speak a lot from this dais, but at this point, it’s really concerning that this resident continuously hounds on the name. I hope she gets educated on that.”

The mayor’s remarks, unusually direct and impassioned for a public session, were a clear signal of the administration’s intent to defend Montgomery’s business community from what it sees as unwarranted and repetitive scrutiny.

Photo Credit: Nicholas Mistretta/headlinenewsmontgomery.com