Edison Friends of the Library - 5K Run - October 11, 2026 at Roosevelt Park at 8:30AM

Well, A Literary Themed 5k Run. Benefitting the Edison Public Library.

Run, Walk, Read - All Activities Welcome!

Sign up at www.FotEPL.org

Get Out and Help Out!

Run for a Cause!

Edison Township Education Foundation - Applications for Executive Board due by Friday, October 16th

 Well, here's the link for the application for the Executive Board. Please consider joining if you can.

Anyhoo, some things are worthy of your time, even in this town.

Final 2026 Edison Property Tax Bill is Out - and 'Bubble-boy's' letter is Sticking it to the BOE Again

 Well, the total Edison Property tax comes in at 6.233, which is up 28.2-Cents over last year's 5.951 or 4.74%. Here you can see what the individual taxing rates are and the increase over last year.

Looks like 'Bubble-boys' budget increase % numbers and the % of the total in his 'Message from the Mayor' don't match up to the tax bill - but hey, stick it to the BoE.

Here is the increases and %'s of taxes by taxing entity according to the tax bills:

Anyhoo, don't you just love that you live in a town that can't even get your taxes right?

Edison Township Education Association (ETEA) Candidates Night 2026

Here'a the link for the September 23, 2026 ETEA's Candidates Night. 

 

It includes:

• Candidates Night Video
• Interview Questionnaires
• Individual Videos
• Side by Side Comparison of Candidates and 
• Candidates Bios Program

Kudos to the ETEA for doing this once again this year. Nice job.

Anyhoo, worth a look before you vote.

Edison Board of Mythomania Election Nov. 3rd - Column 1 or Column 2 - Blah, Blah, Blah

 Seriously, how many times are we going to go through this political cesspool election? Shi vs. Joshi tickets on who can misspend or waste the money the best? Tickets with people who come out of nowhere and probably have never or rarely have been to a Board of Mythomania meeting. Not a necessity but should tell you something. But each has all the answers, albeit mostly in AI.

Be that as it may, No doubt Shi's decade long tenure has kept the school district moving forward with his dictatorial and inept leadership.

With the inability to control Out-of-Control $pending while pissing away all that State Aid money and nonsense piecemeal plans while still not properly addressing the Overcrowding - look to the incompetence of Jerry 'ReferenDumb' Shi, aka Mr. Shi-shed, Mr. Pac-Man and his band of P's in a Pod for bringing us to this point.

They need to go if you want to get some proper Oversight on monies now approaching $400 million.

Seriously, as someone who has been following this dysfunctional school board for decades, I've had enough of watching nothing change but the political makeup of the board and all that money being misspent and wasted. So, I'll give this one try.

Do yourselves a favor if you really want to get back control of all that money and make sure the money is Spent in the Best interests of the Kids, then simply write me in on Nov. 3rd. One person can make a difference especially one who's been following this dysfunctional political cesspool of a board for years and knows the numbers better than anyone.

Just a thought - your choice.

Looks like Final 2026 Edison Property Tax Rate of 6.233 is up 28.2-Cents or 4.7% over Last Year's 5.951

 Well, looks like the Final 2026 Property Tax Rate will be 6.233, which is up 4.5-Cents over the 3rd Qtr. Estimate of 6.188. If you live in that imaginary home assessed at $186,900, then your total property taxes will be $11,658.96 for an increase of $526.54 over last year's $11,122.42 and an additional increase of $83.59 over the 3rd Qtr. estimate.

If you don't know how this budgeting nonsense works - they use an Estimate in the 3rd Qtr if they don't have all the budgets done (and it's usually the Muni-budget that take 8 months into the budget year to come up with one) and any adjustment will be put into the 4th Qtr.

Here's the breakdown for that imaginary home assessed at $186,900:

If you don't live in that imaginary home assessed at $186,900, then take your homes assessed value divided by 100 and multiply that number by 6.233 and that will give you your total 2026 taxes and by .282 to get your tax increase.

Anyhoo, you live in a politically-corrupt town so you get the type of governance and unexplained, unjustified or supported tax increases that you deserve.

Some More about the Latest Edison School District Salary File

 Well, the latest Edison School District Salary File (August 18, 2026) had 2,236 employees for a total of $190,032,221. Interesting stat - some 935 employees out of the total 2,236 or 42% make a $100,000 or more and represent 60% or $113,927,538 of the total dollars of $190,032,221.

Here's how the employees and dollars fall by location:

Anyhoo, you should pay attention to the number of employees by title and department in this file since they won't show you that information in their annual school budgets. And lets not forget the 'Staffing Shell Game' they play and don't bother disclosing to you and lets not forget about 'Breakage' that all adds to the Bloat in the largest expenditure in the school budgets.

Edison School District Salary File - August 18, 2026

 Well, usually try and OPRA the Salary File from the Edison School District every six months or so just to see where we stand with the number of employees since their school budgets do not provide any headcount analysis by department. 

Just received this current Edison School District Salary file. This Excel file has 2,236 employees listed for a total salary of $190,032,221. The file is by name, location department and title and the table added can be drilled down by any of these column headings to see anything you wish.

Here you can see the Salaries and Heads broken down by salary range along with the Average, Median, High and Low Salaries as well as a Quick Salary Lookup:

Here's a listing of Top 20 Salaries in the file:

Here's a listing of the Supervisors in the file:

Here's a listing of Guidance Services in the file:

This is an Excel file and anyone who wishes to have it is welcome to it. Just drop me an email.

Anyhoo, information is knowledge - hope it helps.

The Edison Township Education Association (ETEA) 2026 Annual BOE Candidates Night

 I was informed that the Annual ETEA's BOE Candidates Night will be held in late September 2026 and will revert to the format used during Covid.

All Candidates will be invited into the ETEA's office and will asked a series of questions from the moderator, same as every other year.

There will be no live audience or broadcast of the meeting. The meeting will be videotaped and posted the following day on YouTube, in addition to the ETEA's website.

'Politics in Downtown Edison' Blog Views Just Exceeded 2,000,000

 Well, it's not something I pay much attention too but I just noticed that the Number of Views to this Local Blog has just exceeded 2,000,000.

Just a thanks to all who took the time to see what I was saying about what goes on with the Politics in this town. I hope you all found something useful or at least something that made you want to ask questions or know more.

I do not advertise this Blog, you have to know it's there. I do occasionally post a link to this Blog on Facebook pages relating to Edison but only if I think it contributes to the posts being made on those public sites.

Overall, you'll see most of my posts deal with Muni and School Budgets, Payrolls, Bond Referendums or anything else relating to the numbers that the local taxing entities don't easily or timely volunteer.

Here's the last 12 years taxing by entity:

Anyhoo, once again - thanks for checking out what this person thinks about what goes on in this town.

Kudos to Dr. Toohey for knowing what's Most Important - the Students

 Well saw this piece here in TapInto Edison about Edison Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services, Dr. Thomas Toohey.

Congratulations to Dr. Toohey for looking out for what's important - the Students.

Anyhoo, another in the long line of benefits to Dr. Aldarelli's Leadership.

Mayor Sam 'Furlough Folly' Joshi's 2026 Muni-budget with a 4.42% Tax increase Passes without a Penny cut

Well, what can 'Bubble-boy' say about his 2026 Bloated Budget that doesn't get adopted until 8 months into the budget year and without a single cut.

Oh wait, I know. thank you..thank you..thank you to his 'Pocket Council Leadership.'

And to think, he didn't even show up to have to present it.

A bug Kudos to the Leadership of the Edison Council - Council President Joe 'the Florist' Coyle, aka 'Mayor of Clara Barton', 'Poster-child for Wards' and 'Joe 180 'along with his Vice-President Rob 'Boo-hoo' Kentos, aka 'Rob 'the Chameleon' and 'Joe 180 #2' for leaving what has to be at least $ 1M in cuts off the table.

Anyhoo, Kudos to the 'Pocket Council' for another Bloated Muni-budget. I'm sure Mayor Sam 'Furlough Folly' Joshi is thankful for Not doing your jobs on so many levels.

Here's to the New Poster-child(ren) for Wards:

Anyhoo, it's what you get when you live in a one-party politically-corrupt town. No checks and balances, No transparency and No accountability and a resulting inept Stewardship.

Another in a long line of Dem-party Bloated Budgets

 Well, let's all watch the Dem-party Mantra in action tonight on the 2026 Bloated Muni-budget.

'You Gotta Go Along to Get Along'

Well, tonight the Council gets to vote on Mayor Sam ‘Furlough Folly’ Joshi’s Bloated 2026 muni- budget of 181.1m, which comes with a tax rate of 1.558 which is up 6.6-cents or 4.42% over last year’s 1.492.

Here’s a down and dirty quick look and effect of any cuts the ‘Pocket Council’ makes to the 2026 Muni-budget.

Of course, if there are any cuts at all, I doubt they would be substantial or any where near what needs to be cut.

All it takes is 4 votes and you get screwed again financing the Dem-Party’s interests. I can count to 4, can you?

Anyhoo, it is what it is and will always be until you change it.

The 2026 Muni-Budget of $181.8m is Too Much of a Financial Burden for Too Little a Benefit - Just like Mayor Sam 'Furlough Folly' Joshi

 Well,  Mayor Sam 'Furlough Folly' Joshi's 2026 Introduced Muni-budget of $181.8m comes with a Muni-tax rate of 1.558, which is up 6.6-cents or 4.42% over last year's 1.492.

If this guy continues to believe he works for Joshi and not the People of Edison and won’t get the information other Council Members need to properly do their due diligence and bring transparency and accountability to the 2026 budget, then the Council should, by default, just take that already increased and built-in bloated 2026 budget and cut 3% from every department and line item (and let them sort it out) and that will basically eliminate the tax increase and it won’t matter to the functioning of the town at all.

If they don’t do something like that and let this budget go through without the proper transparency and accountability, then you need to recognize the need for Wards is here in this politically-corrupt one-party town.

Anyhoo, if this town ever went to Zero-based budgeting, we'd all get a Big Fat Tax Reduction!

Who's a Bad...Bad Boy?!?

 Well, Who does something like that just to avoid showing what's in his Ridiculously Bloated Budget? Geez, it's true - 'only in Edison would a Mayor use employees and residents as pawns to create drama to force an unnecessary tax increase.'

How far down the gutter do we let this town go?

Anyhoo, the first thing that ought to be cut down in this budget is this guy's ridiculous salary of $198,000. You'd expect more from someone making that kind of money.

Mayor Sam 'Bubble-boy' Joshi's Ridiculous $pending $181.8m Muni Budget that comes with a 4.4% tax increase

 Well, here you go - Up on the townships's website with Public Meeting scheduled for July 22, 2026. 

Don't expect his 'Pocket Council' to do anything but approve it after he stacked the audience at the Budget Introduction meeting when he put word out that there would be cuts to police, fire and youth organizations if the budget wasn't approved.

Barf!

Can You Say Wards!

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.

With ineffective Oversight over there on Mythomania Lane - You Knew a Big School Tax Hit was coming

Well, the inability to control Out-of-Control $pending while pissing away all that State Aid money and nonsense piecemeal plans yet still not properly addressing the Overcrowding - look to the incompetence of Jerry 'ReferenDumb' Shi, aka Mr. Shi-shed, Mr. Pac-Man and his band of P's in a Pod for bringing us to this point.

Here's the State aid over the last 6 years:

Where did all that money go?

Here's the notice they put out when sending the Preliminary 2026-27 School Budget down to the County Super for approval:

This shows the taxes to be raised of $263,214,748, which is a Whopping $28,201,580 increase or 12% over last year's school tax levy.

Here's what they're showing on their website last I looked:

From this, you can tell what the School Tax Rate is that's built into this 2026-27 School Budget.

They're saying the Proposed Preliminary Annual School Tax (2026 Calendar Year) is $6,510 on the average home's assessed 

value. They also tell you that average home assessed's value this year is $186,900.

So, if you divide the $6,510 by the 1,869, you'll get a School tax rate of 3.483. When compared to last year's School tax rate of 3.139, you get an increase of 34.4-Cents or 10.97%.

You can verify this by taking the school tax levy of $263,214,748 and dividing it by the Estimated Rateables per township of $7,556,614,900 and you'll get a school tax rate of 3.483.

Got a request in to see the 2026-27 School Budget once approved by the County Super.

Three things are undoubtedly true in this one-party town;

1. Thank Shi's inept stewardship and his cronies over the years for the current Board of Ed position.
2. Mayor Sam 'Bubble-boy" Joshi should stay on his own side of town. With that Rin-Tin-Tin Can down on Central avenue - he's the last guy that should be talking about fiscal responsibility. And the hypocrisy of this guy goes to no end - he actually tried to take credit for the school tax reduction as his own when he had a tax increase. Arguably an incompetent buffoon and Malleable Marionette of the powers that be that could only survive his inept stewardship in a protective bubble. A Mayor who has turned the town into an embarrassment.
3. Oversight is everything and when it doesn't exist, this is what you get on both sides of this politically-corrupt town.

Anyhoo, you get what you vote for - Enjoy.

 

Bubble-boy lied about it, his 'Pocket Council' won't put it on the ballot - so, You have to do it if you want to have any hope of removing the Politically-corrupt Dem-party Stranglehold on this town

David Tingle - For Edison's Future

February 11 at 7:30 AM · 

Edison residents, if you want to see real change in our township, this is where it starts.

We need 4,892 signatures to give voters the opportunity to decide on a Ward System.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about representation. It’s about every neighborhood having a voice.

If you believe Edison deserves fair, local representation, reach out and volunteer to help collect signatures. Every signature matters. Every conversation matters.

Let’s put it on the ballot and let the people decide.

Message me if you’re ready to help.

 

Anyhoo, it doesn't take much to ask the People of Edison what kind of representation they want to have. Get out and help collect the needed signatures.

'Bubble-boys' 2026 'Pocket Council Leadership' - Joe 180 & Joe 180 # 2

 Oh boy, with this 'Pocket Council' Leadership - let's hope Bubble-boys day-care provider will (this time around) finally make an effort to teach Bubble-boy how to upgrade his outright childish lies to at least twisting the truth, telling half-truths or better yet - being truthful but misleading - and at least Stop Embarrassing himself and the People of Edison while he destroys this town.

Anyhoo, enjoy four more years of incompetence, dishonesty and embarrassment with an inexperienced, unqualified, incompetent and embarrassing political neophyte who has to live in a protective bubble from his own inept stewardship and constituents scrutiny - leading the 5th Largest town in the state.

Without a 'Pocket Council' - 'Bubble-boys' Inept and Incompetent Stewardship Could Never Survive the Truth

 Well, all hand-picked by the Dem-party Leaders in 2021, all Never Screened and the 'Pocket Council' all served as Council President and all are now one-term 'Pocket Council' and done. 

Kudos to Margot Harris (as Council President) though for bringing some sense back to what were some seriously Outrageous Council Meeting Meltdowns with the Public and for trying to restore the Public's speaking and rebuttal times.

Governance for the Dem-party by Shutting down and Shutting out the People of Edison from any scrutiny and involvement into 'Bubble-boys' inept stewardship.

Anyhoo, ready for a second term of embarrassment with an unqualified, inexperienced, immature, untrustworthy, dishonest and incompetent political neophyte who turned the town into a National Embarrassment and, of course, to see who makes up the latest 'Pocket Council' to protect 'Bubble-boy from the Truth?'

As the Embarrassing Saga continues in the 'DemBadLands' of Downtown Edison

Well, you might want to pay attention to how Rob 'Boo-hoo' Kentos, the latest Edison Council addition votes come 2026.

Not for nothing but he may actually beat out Joe 'the Florist ' Coyle, aka Mayor of Clara Barton, Poster--child for Wards and Joe 180 for turning 180 degrees the fastest from bashing 'Bubble-boy' to Kissing his Arse.

But hey, you got to go along to get along in this politically-corrupt town.

Right Rob?

'I have achieved what some thought was impossible at one time, including me.'

Yeah, right Rob - at what cost?

Anyhoo, 'Bubble-boys' inept Stewardship couldn't survive the truth without replacing his out-going one-term 'Pocket Councilmen.'