Every two years, when the Democrats fight to hold onto their seats in Piscataway’s Municipal Government, our mayor and council members count on fuzzy math to trick people into believing that they pay less for government services than our surrounding towns. The fact is that municipal taxes in Piscataway are slightly lower than those in towns like Middlesex because those towns do not force their citizens to pay a separate sewer bill and to pay for their own garbage collection.

Here in Piscataway, homeowners pay a $190 annual sewer fee and approximately $210 to the private trash collection firm of their choosing. That’s $400 worth of service that we pay for in addition to our property tax. Middlesex Township includes those fees in their property taxes, which would make their taxes seem higher when, in fact, we are paying just as much, if not more, but paying it separately.

What’s more, by forcing homeowners to pay for sewer service and trash collection outside of our property taxes, Mayor Wahler is literally taking money out of your wallet. Last year, state homeowner rebates were issued based on total property tax levied. If Wahler had included your sewer service and trash collection as part of your property tax, homeowners making less than $100,000 a year would have received an additional $80 in their state rebates last year, homeowners making $100,000 to $150,000 would have received an additional $60 in their rebates and those making $150,000 to $200,000 would have received and additional $40. That’s money that Brain Wahler is costing you just so he can falsely claim that it costs less to live in Piscataway than in Middlesex.

- Joe Schilp, PRO Vice Chairman