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

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The following is an opinion piece written by Anthony P. Mercantante, Middletown Township administrator. He asked Patch to publish it in response to the Middletown school board considering a possible 10.09 percent increase to the school tax levy:

Opinion: Whatever Happened to Looking Out for the Greater Good?

The recent action by a majority of the Middletown School Board seems to be sanctifying a troubling trend in society whereby making a small group of loud and angry people happy becomes a priority, even if it means bad news for the vast majority who may not be quite as loud.

Until recent years, society has generally emphasized that we should all seek to do the greatest good for the greatest number. Overall societal benefit should be our collective goal, but now the Middletown Board of Education, not unlike much of society, has taken the easier way out with their heads in the sand: Let’s just pass on an unconscionable 10.1 percent tax increase on 100 percent of the taxpayers simply to quiet down the parents of 5 percent of the students in the district.

All the while, refusing to look at the real issue, even though they’ve known about it for more than 10 years.

The number of schoolchildren has been plummeting in Middletown for decades. It is a nationwide trend, and it’s not expected to change any time soon. The trend will continue no matter how much taxes are increased, so why pour money into old and crumbling buildings with fewer and fewer students in them each year?

How is that a wise decision? Does it make any financial or common sense?

Of course it doesn’t. One thing is certain though, those board members who voted for this option can afford it. But what about those in the community who cannot, and it could be a breaking point? Who is looking out for their interests?

It would appear to be no one — well, at least not a majority of the Middletown Board of Education so far.