Jaisen Rutledge and Jan Goria, the top two vote-getters in the May 2 special election, answer questions before the start of early voting in a runoff election for Princeton City Council. Bob Wieland/Princeton Herald

The two candidates in the runoff election for the unexpired term of Place 4 on the Princeton City Council met Saturday, May 30, to answer questions in a forum moderated by the League of Women Voters of Collin County.

Jan Goria and Jaisen Rutledge, who topped a field of four candidates in the May 2 special election, shared their vision for community engagement, public safety and economic development. The moderator was Aaron Rodriguez from the League of Women Voters.

In regard to public safety, Rutledge said the police department is currently understaffed. 

“We have a lot of opportunity for us to look at our budgeting in that capacity and ensure that we’re putting the resources where they’re needed,” he said.

On the topic of transparency in government, Goria called for the city to hold more town halls so residents could ask questions or pose issues. “It’s not that it can always be corrected, but at least the city has that information, and they can use it going forward in their planning,” she said.

Asked how they would describe Princeton to a potential resident, Rutledge said, “Princeton is a fast-growing city that still has a small town charm to it,” he said. “I believe that it has done a really good job of retaining a lot of its culture, and I think that there’s a lot of extremely excited and engaged residents that live here.”

Goria said people considering moving to Princeton should be prepared for the ongoing growth.

“As much as I want to keep the small town charm … I think they need to know the facts, and it’s still growing,” she said. “It probably is not going to stop growing, so that is an important fact for people to know.”

Goria, who moved to Princeton two years ago, was named this year to the Planning & Zoning Commission. Rutledge, a longtime resident, has served as chair of the Community Development Corporation and a member of the Home Rule Charter Committee.

Asked about budget priorities, Rutledge said he would like to invest in staff and make sure the city is supported by commercial growth, not just residential property.

Goria said she did not have a clear picture of the budget and thought more transparency was needed so people could understand whether they agree with it.

“I have looked at the budget and it’s daunting, quite honestly, it’s hard to understand,” she said. “I see a lot of numbers, and you know, general funds, and that type of thing, but I don’t really have a clear picture.”

About 30 people, including two councilmembers, attended the forum organized by the Princeton-Lowry Crossing Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Community Waste Disposal. 

A link to a video of the entire event is available on the city’s video archive: princetontx.new.swagit.com/videos/389581.

Early voting for the runoff runs daily from Monday, June 1, through Tuesday, June 9. Election Day is Saturday, June 13. 

The vote center at the Princeton Municipal Center, 2000 E. Princeton Drive, will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from June 1 through 6, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on June 8, 9 and 13.

Just 476 votes were cast in the May 2 contest to succeed Councilmember Ryan Gerfers, who resigned for health reasons. 

With 18,923 eligible registered voters in Princeton, the turnout was 2.52%.

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