Edison Residents Petition Against Proposed School Tax Hike, Demand Budget Pause

EDISON, NJ — A growing number of Edison Township residents have signed a Change.org petition demanding the Board of Education pause and revise a preliminary $372 million school budget that would raise the local property tax levy. The petition calls the proposed increase a "financial shock" on families already strained by inflation, rising housing costs and AI-driven job displacement.

The petition, addressed to the Edison Township Board of Education and Middlesex County officials, calls on the board to reject the preliminary budget and return with what signers describe as "a fiscally responsible alternative." It was launched days after the board voted 6-2 to approve the preliminary spending plan for the 2026-2027 school year and submit it to Middlesex County for review.

"A 12% single-year tax increase is not a modest adjustment — it is a financial shock delivered to families already stretched thin by years of inflation, rising housing costs, and growing job insecurity driven by automation and AI," the petition states.

The proposed budget would raise the local tax levy to $263,214,748 — an increase of roughly $28 million over the current year. New Jersey statute generally caps annual school tax levy increases at 2 percent, though exceptions are permitted under certain conditions. The petition demands the board explain what justifies exceeding that threshold by such a wide margin.

Among the petition's specific concerns is the district's draw-down of financial reserves, including $19.5 million from a Bankers Cap fund, $1 million from capital reserves and $5 million from unassigned fund balance. Signers argue that depleting one-time reserves while simultaneously raising taxes by 12 percent does not represent sound long-term fiscal management.

The petition also calls out a lack of transparency, specifically citing a $3,968,093 healthcare adjustment in the budget, and demands a plain-language public accounting of all major expenditure increases before any levy is approved.

Edison Township's concentration of technology and finance workers makes the timing particularly fraught, according to the petition, which argues that AI-driven layoffs have left many households managing on reduced or uncertain income.

"Property taxes are not optional — non-payment puts homes at risk," the petition states, adding that rising taxes are accelerating the displacement of long-term residents and threatening the township's economic and demographic diversity.

The backdrop to the proposed hike is a district that held its tax levy flat for five consecutive years — a streak that board critics say was politically popular but fiscally reckless. Business Administrator Jonathan Toth laid out the financial reality at the board meeting — the district is dealing with a $6 million cumulative hit from state aid cuts over the past two years, $11 million less in available surplus revenue, a $3.5 million increase in pre-K funding obligations, and $7 million in contractual costs covering salaries, health benefits, out-of-district tuition and transportation.

Edison is also among the districts seeing a reduction in state aid for 2026-27, with a cut of $2.7 million — a 3 percent reduction.

The petition makes five specific demands of the board: immediately pause and revise the preliminary budget; identify spending reductions to bring the levy increase in line with the statutory 2 percent cap; hold a public town hall where residents can ask direct questions about budget line items; publish a plain-English breakdown of all major expenditure increases; and commit to a multi-year fiscal plan that does not rely on one-time fund balance withdrawals.

"We love Edison's public schools and want them to thrive," the petition reads. "But thriving schools require a thriving community. When residents are forced out of their homes or into financial crisis, everyone loses."

Superintendent Edward Aldarelli has sought to reassure residents that there will be no blanket layoffs, though staffing adjustments will reflect a decline of 778 students over the past year. Subscription busing — used by approximately 4,000 students — will be maintained, and class size caps will remain in place.

The preliminary budget is not final. It must first be reviewed and approved by the Middlesex County executive superintendent. A full public hearing with a line-by-line presentation and opportunity for public comment is expected in April or May, after which the board will take a final vote.

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