Eisgruber, municipal officials discuss standing up for shared values during annual meeting
President Christopher L. Eisgruber (center) speaks with Princeton municipal officials on March 23. It was the 13th annual public conversation between Eisgruber and town leaders.
During their meeting on March 23, President Christopher L. Eisgruber and municipal officials emphasized how higher education institutions like Princeton contribute to the local community and nation through their teaching, research and service missions and through public resources like the new Princeton University Art Museum.
Eisgruber’s 13th annual conversation with the Princeton Mayor and Council provided an opportunity to discuss shared interests and express support for areas of continued collaboration, including mass transit, educational access, entrepreneurship, innovation, the arts and community service.
“This is a partnership that matters to the University and the town,” Eisgruber said to municipal leaders. “Thank you for what you do on behalf of this place that we all cherish.”
Town officials also expressed appreciation for the University’s significant contributions to the municipality, school district and local organizations through its ongoing voluntary contributions. The University is also the largest property taxpayer in Princeton, paying $9.5 million in property and sewer taxes in 2025.
During Eisgruber's discussion with the Princeton Mayor and Council at the Princeton Municipal Complex, University and town leaders discussed areas of shared interest and opportunities for continued collaboration, among other topics.
“Our annual meeting where we discuss shared goals and initiatives that enhance the quality of the campus and community has always been one of my favorites,” said Councilmember Leticia Fraga, who plans to step down at the end of the year. “I want to take this opportunity to personally thank the University for being such a strong and valued partner throughout my time on the Council.”
Council President Michelle Pirone Lambros thanked the University for supporting the municipality’s new Princeton Loop bus route, which will coordinate with the University’s TigerTransit system to increase transit options that are free and open to the public. Councilmember Leighton Newlin shared his vision for continued partnership between the University and community organizations that support Princeton as a livable and affordable community.
Town officials also expressed excitement about the new Princeton University Art Museum, which was recently named by Time magazine as one of the World’s Greatest Places of 2026 and has brought visitors to campus and to local shops and restaurants.
Councilmember Brian McDonald, Class of 1983, said community leaders stand with the University in response to threats to scientific research, academic freedom and higher education excellence.
“These institutions have been our country's main drivers of discovery, innovation and advances in healthcare, technology and national security,” McDonald said. “What can we do, and what can members of our community do, to support the University and its peer institutions?”
“We need everybody to be standing up — not just for Princeton but for higher education in this country and what it does,” Eisgruber said, encouraging community members to sign up for the Stand Up for Princeton and Higher Education initiative.
“We should all stand up as one community,” Mayor Mark Freda said of the town and University. “At the end of the day, we are all one. What happens to one impacts the other.”
In addition to federal cuts to research funding, Eisgruber explained how the University is facing reduced long-term expectations for endowment performance and other rising costs, which have led to budget reductions on campus.
As the University transitions from a period of growth to focus, Eisgruber said the University remains committed to its mission of teaching and research excellence, as well as to its partnerships with the Princeton community.
Councilmember David Cohen asked about ways to encourage philanthropy to colleges and universities, and Councilmember Mia Sacks asked where Eisgruber finds inspiration during challenging times.
“I find inspiration every day in what happens around our campus,” he said, whether it’s attending an athletic event, watching a student theater performance or enjoying the beauty inside the art museum. “What energizes me … is the extraordinary research and teaching of our faculty, and the extraordinary aspirations and achievements of our students.”
