Petition to:

The Mayor and Members of the Piscataway Township Council

Our Message

We, the undersigned residents and taxpayers of Piscataway Township, respectfully call upon our elected officials to reform Piscataway's property tax policies and provide meaningful relief for homeowners, particularly senior citizens, veterans, disabled residents, long-time homeowners, and families living on fixed incomes.

Year after year, homeowners throughout Piscataway see their assessed property values increase through periodic reassessments, often resulting in substantially higher property tax bills despite making few or no improvements to their homes. For many residents, these annual increases have become increasingly difficult to absorb and have made retirement in the homes they worked a lifetime to own increasingly uncertain.

Many long-time homeowners purchased their homes decades ago at modest prices. As property values have appreciated, assessed values have increased substantially, resulting in significantly higher property tax bills even where little or no expansion or structural improvements have been made to the property.

For example, one Piscataway homeowner purchased a home more than 30 years ago for approximately $185,000. Today, that same home is assessed at approximately $650,000, despite no additions or structural improvements. While the property has not been sold and no financial gain has been realized, the homeowner continues to pay substantially higher property taxes based upon the increased assessed value.

Homeowners are paying property taxes based upon continually increasing assessed values even though they have not sold their homes or realized any financial gain from those increases.

Residents have also watched significant commercial and residential development continue throughout Piscataway—including warehouses, apartment complexes, and condominium developments—raising legitimate questions about whether that growth is producing meaningful property tax relief for existing homeowners.

Many long-time homeowners have paid into the school system for decades, even though their children graduated years ago. We recognize that excellent public schools benefit the entire community and support continued investment in education. However, we also believe the Township should advocate for tax policies that better recognize the financial realities facing retirees, empty nesters, veterans, disabled residents, and homeowners living on fixed incomes.

We believe it is time for Piscataway to become a leader in pursuing meaningful property tax reform rather than simply accepting the status quo.

 Fairness

A home should not become financially unaffordable simply because its paper value has increased over time.

Many residents purchased their homes decades ago with the expectation they could retire there. Instead, increasing assessments and rising property taxes are making it increasingly difficult for seniors and long-time homeowners to remain in the communities they helped build.

We believe homeowners should not be penalized simply because surrounding property values have increased while their own financial circumstances have remained unchanged.

 We Call Upon the Township Council to:

1. Advocate for Property Tax Reform

Work with Middlesex County, the New Jersey Legislature, and the Governor to pursue reforms that create a more predictable, transparent, and affordable property tax system for homeowners.

 2. Expand Relief for Senior Citizens

Support legislation and local initiatives that provide:

Greater property tax relief for senior citizens.
Expanded eligibility for existing State property tax relief programs.
Additional local property tax credits or rebates where legally available.
Long-term protections allowing seniors to remain in the homes they spent decades paying for.
Advocacy for eliminating or substantially reducing property taxes for qualifying senior citizens.
 
3. Increase Transparency

Provide residents with an easy-to-understand annual report showing:

How their property taxes are calculated.
What portion funds Township services.
What portion funds the school district.
What portion funds Middlesex County and other taxing authorities.
How reassessments affect individual tax bills.
How commercial and residential development impacts the Township's tax base.
 
4. Protect Long-Time Homeowners

Develop policies that reduce the financial burden on residents who have owned and maintained their homes for many years and whose incomes have not kept pace with increasing property taxes.

 5. Hold Public Tax Forums

Conduct public meetings dedicated solely to property taxes, allowing residents to ask questions, review Township finances, provide input, and discuss potential reforms before future budgets are adopted.

 6. Improve Fiscal Accountability

Conduct an independent review of Township spending to identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary expenditures before asking homeowners to shoulder additional tax burdens.

Provide an annual public report demonstrating how taxpayer dollars are being managed, where efficiencies have been achieved, and how future development is expected to affect residential taxpayers.

 7. Adopt a Public Resolution Supporting Property Tax Reform

We ask the Township Council to publicly adopt a resolution supporting:

Expanded senior property tax relief.
Greater protections for long-time homeowners.
Increased transparency in assessments and tax calculations.
Legislative reforms that reduce the property tax burden on owner-occupied homes.
Annual reporting on how commercial development affects residential property taxes.
 
Why This Matters

For many Piscataway residents, property taxes have become one of the largest household expenses.

Seniors living on fixed incomes should not have to worry about losing the homes they spent decades paying for simply because property assessments continue to rise.

Long-time homeowners deserve a property tax system that is fair, transparent, predictable, and sustainable.

Piscataway should advocate for policies that allow residents to remain in their homes while continuing to support quality schools, public safety, parks, infrastructure, and essential municipal services.

 Accountability

Township officials are elected to represent the interests of Piscataway residents.

If they refuse to pursue meaningful property tax reform or advocate for greater tax relief, residents will remember those decisions at the ballot box and will consider every lawful option available under New Jersey law—including recall proceedings where legally appropriate.

 Sign This Petition

If you believe:

Seniors deserve greater property tax relief;
Long-time homeowners deserve fairness;
Property taxes should be more transparent;
Township government should exercise greater fiscal accountability;
Commercial development should help reduce—not simply offset—the tax burden on homeowners;
Piscataway should actively pursue meaningful property tax reform;
please sign this petition and share it with your friends, family, and neighbors.

Together, we can encourage our elected officials to make property tax relief a priority for every resident of Piscataway.

 Our Homes Are Not Investment Portfolios

Our homes are where we raised our families.

They are where we built our lives.

They are where we planned to retire.

We are not asking for special treatment.

We are asking for fairness.

It is time for Piscataway to put its residents first.