EDISON, NJ - The Edison Board of Education voted to table a resolution that would have terminated the district's contract to purchase a $9 million property on Talmadge Road. The vote on the controversial land deal now moves to a future meeting, as community opposition grows over a proposed 12 percent school tax increase.
Board member Shannon Peng moved to table the resolution at Thursday’s meeting, citing the absence of two board members. The motion passed 4-3, with members Russell Azzarello, Ralph Errico, Ronak Patel and Peng voting in favor, and members Christopher Lugo, Virginia White and Vishal Patel opposed.
Business Administrator Jonathan Toth said the board cannot vote on terminating the land purchase until a future meeting.
Hundreds of Edison residents have signed a petition demanding the board cancel the Talmadge Road deal immediately, and a letter linking the petition was sent directly to all BOE members. The petition argues the purchase is unnecessary and not aligned with the board's core responsibility of educating students.
"This purchase is unnecessary and not aligned with the Board's core responsibility — educating students," the petition states. "Even with a penalty, it is fiscally smarter to exit now than commit to a $9 million burden on Edison taxpayers."
The petition calls on the board to redirect the $9 million to capital reserves, arguing the move could help bring down the capital budget and reduce taxes in future years. It warns that if the will of taxpayers is not respected, residents will escalate the issue to state legislators, the mayor's office, the Township Council and the media.
"Cancel the deal. Reallocate funds. Lower taxes," the petition states. "Voters are aware and watching. Voters will remember."
The land deal controversy is unfolding against the backdrop of a broader budget fight that has put the board at odds with residents, the mayor and the public. The board voted 6-2 in late March to approve a preliminary $372 million budget for the 2026-2027 school year, which would raise the local tax levy by roughly $28 million — an 11.9 percent increase — ending five consecutive years of zero tax increases, as Patch previously reported.
Mayor Sam Joshi publicly condemned the budget proposal earlier this month, calling it "reckless and irresponsible" and accusing board members of mismanaging more than $147 million in state aid received over the past four years. Joshi acknowledged his office has no jurisdiction over the independently elected school board but said he felt obligated to speak out on behalf of taxpayers.
A separate Change.org petition calling the proposed tax increase a "financial shock on families already strained by inflation, rising housing costs and AI-driven job displacement" drew significant community support in the days following the board vote.
That petition made five specific demands of the board, including pausing the budget, holding public town halls and committing to a multi-year fiscal plan that does not rely on one-time fund balance withdrawals.
Business Administrator Jonathan Toth has attributed the budget increase to a $6 million cumulative hit from state aid cuts over 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's state aid was also cut by $2.7 million — a 3% reduction — for the 2026-27 year.
Superintendent Edward Aldarelli said a full budget presentation and public hearing will be held at the board's next meeting Tuesday, April 28, where a final vote on the revised budget will also take place.
Aldarelli said the presentation will cover how the budget supports student programming and staffing and will include a breakdown of the tax impact on the average Edison homeowner.
"We will have not only a full budget presentation — we'll talk about what the contents of the budget is in relationship to the average household," Aldarelli said. "All of those components are talked about during the formal budget hearing."
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