Top 10 Reasons Why You Gotta Like 'Mayor Sam 'Bubble-boy' Joshi's 2026 Muni Budget Process

10. Because you like Not seeing a Muni-budget adopted until 7 months into the calendar year are over. Why not wait a little longer and we'll have the actuals and won't need a budget. 

9. Because you're getting use to getting 3r Qtr. (August) Estimated tax bills. Those are always fun.

8. Because you like when the Council (Keeper of the Purse Strings) doesn't get a budget book from 'Bubble-boy' until a few days before the Budget Introduction meeting and they let him get away with it.

7. Because you like how 'Bubble-boy' has the Intro meeting stacked by indicating that any reduction in his 4.4% tax hike may cause manpower reductions in police and fire.

6. Because you like how Council President Joe 'the Florist' Coyle, aka Mayor of Clara Barton, Poster-child for Wards and Joe 180 thinks he works for the Mayor on adopting this budget.

5. Because you like 'Bubble-boy' Not Presenting his 2026 Muni-budget to the Council just like last year. Can't or won't defend what's in this budget. Just trying to pass it through with his 'Pocket Council.'

4. Because you like giving 'Bubble-boy' a 'Pocket Council' to pass his Dem-party nonsense onto you. Clearly, with a $181m budget, Nothing to see here - there's nothing in there that can be cut.

3. Because there are No Checks and Balances in this town and the Council is expected to Introduce the 2026 Budget without any time for due diligence before they own it to change or not change it.

2. Because you live in a politically-corrupt town and they'll do what they want until you do something about it. 

1. Because you have an Unqualified Mayor being protected by a Dem-party Council and You Lose again with this Ridiculous Spending budget. We don't need a Council, we need a DOGE.

Edison 2026 $181.8m Muni-budget - comes with a tax rate of 1.558, which is up 6.6-cents or 4.42% over last year's 1.492

 Well, saw the agenda for the combined Council Meeting next week and it has the Intro 2026 Muni-budget. Haven't seen the budget yet but from the agenda you can see what happens to the tax rate with this Muni-budget.

Here's the calculations:

Here's what the tax increase means for the Muni and Library tax if you live in that imaginary home assessed at 186,900 and if you don't - take your home's assessed value divided by 100 and multiply it by .066 and that will give you your Muni tax increase and by 1.558 to get your total Muni-tax. 

Anyhoo, another in a long line of Ridiculous Budgets in a politically-corrupt town that favors the Dem-party interests at the expense of the Residents.

2025 Taxpayers Guide to Education Spending - Ratio of Students to Classroom Teachers and Median Salary

 Well, here's the Ratio and Median Salary for Middlesex County:

Here's to Ratio and Median Salary for the Top 25 Schools in the State:

Anyhoo, it is what it is here in the DemBadLands of Downtown Edison.

JP Stevens Hall of Honor - Class of 2026

 Well, Congratulations to all the nominees and selections. Shout-out to Andrew Toth, Chief, Edison Division of Fire.

When the bulk of your $358M School budget is in Salaries & Benefits - failing to provide a headcount schedule lacks transparency

 Well, whatever you want to say about this year's constantly changing school budget, there's one thing you can say with certainly.

You can't really understand the staffing levels since they won't tell you how their staffing breaks down by title, what the staffing requirements are this year, how that has changed from the prior year and why. Not only that but they also fail to show you how many non-budgeted heads were hired between July 1 and February 1 when they update their budget numbers to actual. Also known as the 'Staffing Shell Game'. Throw in 'Breakage' and other salary line games and you can see why letting them get away without producing a headcount schedule for the budget is critical.

Be that as it may, I just asked for and received the school districts salary file. I summarized it so you at least see what we're talking about in terms of magnitude. This file came with 2,603 names of which 2,406 had salary numbers. 

The total salaries are a whopping $191,230,525.

Here's a breakdown of the heads and dollars:

Also, created a table so you can see each person by name, location, department and title. This allows you to sort the file anyway you want to see it and to see how many of each position there are on the payroll.

Here's a picture of one of the breakdowns. this shows the top 25 salaries:

Here's another showing the Central Services department:

Information is important. This is an Excel file and if anybody wants to see it, you're welcome to it. Jut drop me an email.

Anyhoo, the Board of Mythomania should insist that the School Budget come with a headcount schedule by department showing last year's budget, last year's budget updated for actuals and this year's budget.

Yet another change to the 2026-27 Ridiculous Edison School Budget - Hard to believe this Board has Oversight of some $358 million

Well, looks like they changed the 2026-27 School Budget on their website again. The first version came with a School tax rate of 3.483 which was 10.97% over last year's 3.139.

Their second version came with School tax rate of 3.299 which was 5.09% over last year's 3.139.

Now, it appears to have changed again and this School Budget comes with School tax rate of 3.2033 which is 2.05% over last year's 3.139.

Seems they really don't know what heck they're doing since their presentation doesn't ever agree to their final numbers in this version. Seems this version comes with a reduction in the fiscal year tax levy of some $14 million and an increase in the Ratables of some $4 million over what the tax department reported in an OPRA.

So, once again under this version - take your home's assessed value divided by 100 and multiply it by 3.2033 and you'll get your total school tax and by .0643 (3.2033-3.1390) and you'll get your school tax increase over last year.

Their School Budget games are just as Ridiculous as their Oversight. Hard to believe the stupidity.

Anyhoo, should of never moved the School Board Elections to November and given up our Right to Vote on School Budgets.

Revised $359.7M 2026-27 School Budget - School tax rate down to 3.299 from 3.483 or 5.09% over last year's 3.139 0r 10.97%

Well, if you live in that imaginary home assessed at $186,900, then this budget has a school tax rate of 3.299 which will raise your school taxes to $6,166 with an increase of .16 cents over last year's 3.139 or $299 (5.08%).

If you don't live in that imaginary house assessed at $186,900, then take your home's assessed value divided by 100 and multiply it by 3.299 to get you total school taxes and by .160 to get your school tax increase over last year.

.

Here's the $359.7M 2026-27 School Budget up on their website - a serious joke on the People of Edison:

Anyhoo, it's what happens when you don't have adequate Oversight.