Democrats Running For Middletown Twp. Committee Pen Op-Ed On Tax Hike

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The following is an editorial written by Shawn Wallach and Jeremy Seideman, two Democrats running this year for Middletown Township Committee. Wallach and Seideman will challenge sitting Middletown Committeemen Rick Hibell and Kevin Settembrino, both Republican; the election will be in November.

This is their opinion on the Middletown school board's majority vote last week to increase the school property tax levy 10.1 percent. Their op-ed is specifically in response to Township Administrator Tony Mercantante's op-ed criticizing that vote because of the tax increase for homeowners:

Township Administrator Tony Mercantante’s recent op-ed criticizing the 10.1 percent school tax levy increase is less about facts and more about political deflection. By characterizing the community as “a small group of loud and angry people,” he dismisses the parents and residents who mobilized in response to the Board of Education’s sudden and poorly communicated plan to close Navesink Elementary, Leonardo Elementary and Bayshore Middle School. That’s not just offensive — it’s misleading.

This wasn’t a case of public outrage driving bad policy. This is a case of public engagement pushing back against bad decisions and poor leadership. When the BOE dropped the bombshell about school closures — with virtually no public input — families reacted not with rage, but with resolve. They organized, demanded transparency and asked for time to develop a better plan. The 10.1 percent tax increase is not a handout to activists. It’s the unfortunate but necessary result of years of administrative neglect.

And let’s talk about that increase. Mercantante presents it as a catastrophic burden. But the original closure plan — without community input — already came with a 5.88 percent increase. The difference? About $100–$240 more per year for the average homeowner. For that price, we keep three schools open, maintain community trust and give the district a chance to find real solutions.

Mercantante, his bosses in Town Hall and several BOE members have spent years blaming Gov. Murphy and Democrats in Trenton for cuts in state aid — using it as a political shield to excuse inaction.

But here’s what they won’t tell you: State aid to Middletown actually increased by 6 percent this year. Yet the school closure plan moved ahead anyway, as if the funding landscape hadn’t changed. You can’t keep blaming Trenton for your problems while ignoring good news when it finally comes.

Meanwhile, other districts in similar situations pursued grants, funding opportunities and creative cost-saving measures. Middletown did not. Instead, the Board sat on its hands until it had no choice but to act — badly — and then tried to shift the blame onto the very people who demanded accountability.

And what about the Township Committee? Where were they during this mess? According to BOE members, the Township has even threatened legal action over future potential land sales. That’s not support. That’s political theater.

Mercantante’s op-ed tries to pit taxpayers against parents. But they’re the same people. Middletown families care about both their kids’ education and fiscal responsibility. What they don’t care for are bullies that ignore fiscal realities, fail to act and then have the nerve to lecture taxpayers for wanting better for their children.

No one wants a tax hike. But after years of inaction and poor leadership, it is clear to everyone paying attention that it’s the only option left to prevent further harm to our families and property values. Mr. Mercantante and his bosses in Town Hall have shown us their true colors by passing the buck of accountability and scolding the people who have actually done the work to clean up this mess.

Middletown taxpayers deserve better, and we are committed to bringing respect and accountability back to Town Hall this November.

Shawn Wallach

Jeremy Seideman

Candidates for Middletown Township Committee

Last week: Middletown Administrator Pens Op-Ed On 10.1 Percent School Tax Hike

Middletown School Board Approves Budget With 10.1 Percent School Tax Increase (April 30)

Middletown School Board Votes To Raise Taxes Up To 10.1 Percent (April 8)