The July 23 article in the News on the details of the West Windsor Arts Council’s lease on the former Princeton Junction firehouse attracted 17 comments online at www.wwpinfo.com.
Many of them were critical of the money spent on the renovation of the 79-year-old building, the terms of the lease, and the salary earned by the council’s part-time director. One online comment:
“People spending our tax money are completely clueless about business. The arts council will be struggling for years without making a dime of profit. Yet millions of taxpayer money will be used to support the 13 people in this town who want to keep the doors open. When this arts center fails they will be amazed of how it could have happened.
“Everyone do the town and yourself all a favor. Don’t put anymore money into this bad idea. Energy and resources will fizzle over a few years. More wasted money you may as well just burn.”
Paul Cerna, one of the founders of the Arts Council, posted the following in response:
“As reported in the paper and stated at town council Eduardo Garcia makes $31,500 total. It is paid entirely by the arts council with money earned via non-township business contracts. Garcia gets no other benefits in any form and never has. The IRS tax filings have always been publicly available at the West Windsor library for anyone’s review.
“Understand that the firehouse will still be used as a firehouse. The hazardous-material (hazmat) emergency equipment will still be operationally stored in all the firetruck bays.
“Remember the buildings along 571 that are boarded up? Why not be grateful the arts council and township are making sure the firehouse doesn’t turn into another boarded-up-eyesore? It’s a beautiful building. Thank goodness for the arts council and that they are restoring its beauty.
“The arts council has mobilized literally tens of thousands of volunteer-hours in the last 9 years. They put their own money where their mouth is and they’re already creating desperately needed jobs for the local economy. Operating an arts center will create even more jobs. It’s the arts council who will independently pay those newly created salaries and taxes, not the township
“The township has already received over $50,000 of checks written out to the township by the WW arts council. The township has never written a check to the WW arts council nor to Garcia nor to anyone in the arts council.
“Why not appreciate the township is eliminating hundreds of thousands of township operating costs by privatizing firehouse operations to the WW arts council? Kudos to the arts council for the fine job they’ve been doing all these years. We’re quite lucky for their persevering dedication. They are a gemstone volunteer-organization. They will be able to do so much more for us with a place to serve the community and I look forward to more for decades to come.”
