Princeton Cybersecurity Incident Draws Questions as Council Weighs Budget, Trash Changes

By R.J. Morales | TX3DNews

PRINCETON — City officials confirmed Monday that an active cybersecurity incident involved an intrusion into critical city technology and communication systems.

The disclosure came during a night when City Council also reviewed a proposed budget boosted by more than $1.2 million in newly confirmed revenue and a possible increase in residents’ monthly trash bills.

Princeton confirms cyber intrusion

City Council met behind closed doors for about 22 minutes during its Sept. 21 work session to discuss the cybersecurity incident.

No details were released afterward about when the intrusion occurred, which systems were affected or whether personal information was compromised.

The incident drew several questions during the regular council meeting.

Resident Ken Slegman referenced online claims about potentially exposed personal and payment information and asked what residents should expect next.

“Everybody’s anxious to hear about how it happened, why it happened,” Slegman said. “Are we still at risk? What are we doing forward?”

Mayor Eugene Escobar Jr. declined to provide additional details but pushed back on information circulating online.

“As of today, there has been no evidence that anything posted online is actually accurate,” Escobar said, adding that he would not say more about the incident.

Sumbel Zeb, a candidate for Princeton City Council Place 6, raised concerns about delays some residents have reported with public information requests and asked for details about an earlier data breach referenced online by a council member, including who was affected and how the city responded.

Other residents focused on the city’s cybersecurity resources and response.

Former Princeton City Council Place 4 candidate Sharad Ramani pointed to a requested $119,000 IT network administrator position that was not among the priorities included in the revised budget proposal.

“We do not have to look far to understand this threat,” Ramani said. “The recent cyber attack on our systems demonstrated how vulnerable our networks can be.”

Councilmember Terrance Johnson urged residents to be patient as the city investigates and said information should come through the city once it has been verified.

“If we don’t have any information to provide then there’s nothing for us to speak on,” Johnson said.

“I think it will be irresponsible for any of us to act outside of that to provide information that has not been vetted,” he said. “We don’t know if it’s true and it’s pure speculation.”

Johnson asked residents to “please, please have patience with this process,” saying the city has professionals working on the incident and that any information released should be accurate.

Another resident, Denise, raised concerns about preserving forensic evidence and securing potentially compromised credentials.

“If active city credentials were exposed, every credential tied to the system should be rotated immediately,” she said.

She also urged the city to use an independent firm to investigate the intrusion.

Budget gets $1.2 million boost; trash rate could rise

Beyond the cybersecurity concerns, council members spent much of Monday’s meetings working through the city’s proposed budget and other issues that could affect residents’ bills.

The budget picture changed with $1.23 million in revenue from the emergency services district that was not included when the proposed budget was submitted in August.

The additional money allowed staff to include a motorcycle officer, two patrol officers, a criminal investigations administrative assistant and a development services administrative assistant in the revised proposal, along with $170,000 for work on the city’s Unified Development Code.

Chief Financial Officer Kelly Wilson said the general fund now includes about $37.15 million in revenue and $36.2 million in expenditures, leaving projected reserves at 28.3%. The agreement with the emergency services district must be renewed annually.

The proposed budget still includes $168,000 for an efficiency audit. Johnson defended the expense, saying its scope could include unsupported overtime and payroll costs, improperly documented or authorized purchases and duplicate payments.

“I think the efficiency audit is basically the way to go,” Johnson said.

Council also reviewed a proposed 47-cent monthly increase in trash and recycling rates, from $20.45 to $20.92. City staff said the annual adjustment reflects changes in the consumer price index, fuel and disposal costs and would not add services.

CWD is preparing collection-route changes as its Princeton customer base has grown from about 4,500 homes in 2019 to about 15,000 today. The new routes are expected to begin in November.

Council is scheduled to consider the final budget and trash-rate increase Sept. 28. The trash rate would take effect Oct. 1 if approved.

More decisions coming Sept. 28

Council will return Sept. 28 with several decisions in front of it, including adoption of the city budget and tax rate and consideration of the proposed trash-rate increase.

What remains less certain is when residents will learn more about the cybersecurity incident. City officials have asked for patience while the investigation continues but have not given a timeline for releasing additional information.

Editor’s Note — Sept. 23, 2026: After this article was published, the City of Princeton said two independent cybersecurity reviews found no evidence of unauthorized access to city systems, a confirmed data breach or unauthorized data exfiltration. During the Sept. 21 City Council meeting covered below, the matter was publicly described as an “active cybersecurity incident resulting in an intrusion” of critical city technology and communication systems. The city says the investigation remains ongoing and an additional independent cybersecurity firm will conduct a comprehensive forensic review. TX3DNews has asked the city for clarification about the differing descriptions.