Governor Murphy on Middletown 10% Tax Increase and School Closures: The Math Doesn't Lie

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

58% : In 2009, Middletown received $20.9 million in state funding; for the upcoming year, it's slated to receive just $14.8 million -- a 6% increase from last year's $13.9 million, but still $7 million less than 15 years ago.
51% : "I've lived here 30 years, but a 10% hike might force me out," said an 83-year-old retiree, reflecting a sentiment shared by others reliant on pensions and Social Security.
46% : While Murphy has ignored other districts facing multiple school closures and tax increases, he says the Middletown closures are 'personal' because he lives there.
46% : For a homeowner with a property assessed at the township average of approximately $600,000, this could mean an additional $500 to $600 annually, based on current tax rates and district estimates.

*Our bias meter rating uses data science including sentiment analysis, machine learning and our proprietary algorithm for determining biases in news articles. Bias scores are on a scale of -100% to 100% with higher negative scores being more liberal and higher positive scores being more conservative, and 0% being neutral. The rating is an independent analysis and is not affiliated nor sponsored by the news source or any other organization.