About Piscataway
Our Township
Piscataway - A Great Place to Live!
Piscataway is the most diverse township in Middlesex County and one of the top ten most diverse communities in New Jersey. Our residents appreciate each other as neighbors and friends. Piscataway has been named one of the “Best Towns in America” in which to live, by Money Magazine four times. This honor does not happen by chance. It is made possible through leadership that looks towards the future. It requires strategic planning that makes Piscataway the place that new businesses want to locate. New business brings new jobs to Piscataway residents, while lowering municipal taxes to homeowners. Our Piscataway Democratic leadership have implemented strong financial policies and have achieved a AA+ Stable bond rating which means our town is fiscally strong.
Our Mayor and Council have worked to preserve open space, renovate all our parks and implement green initiatives. Piscataway is a nationally recognized Sports Illustrated Magazine “Sports Town USA.” This prestigious designation was a result of planning to provide excellent cost free recreational sports programs. From our skateboard park, sports fields, tennis and basketball courts to the Raritan Landing Golf Course, operated by Middlesex County, it’s all here! Our brand new, $32 million Community Center was built at no capitol cost to resident taxpayers but from business revenue of new companies attracted to our Township. A result of smart, long-term fiscal planning, it has a full-size basketball court with overhead running track, an aquatic center with three pools, fitness center, dance & art studios, teen lounge, café and a family fun spray park. This state-of-the-art building will dually function as an emergency evacuation center for our residents.
Our award winning AARP-recognized Senior Center is the hub for our older residents offering many free activities, classes, guest speakers, parties and programs such as Meals on Wheels. Our incredible library system with cultural festivities, programs for all ages, computers and a career center to help residents get jobs is an integral part of community life here in town. As one of the fifty oldest townships in the United States, Piscataway (founded 1666) holds a special place in our Nation’s history because it was here in our township that the first ever Forth of July celebration took place with General George Washington and his troops. You can learn all about this at our local history museum, the Metlar-Bodine House or step back into the past at East Jersey Olde Town or the Middlesex County County Cultural and Heritage Museum, the Cornelius Low House, located in Piscataway.
Each year we have wonderful community opportunities to come together such as: Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. commemorative breakfast, National Night Out, Street Fair, Clean-Up Litter Day, Memorial Day parade, July 4th celebration, Walk for your Health, Juried Art Show, free paper shredding events, Citizens Police Academy, Police Youth Week. As summer arrives, residents enjoy the fun-filled free summer concert series every Thursday evening at the Columbus Park Gazebo overlooking beautiful New Market Pond with its spectacular fountains.
To make sure that everyone is informed about all the wonderful happenings and opportunities in town there is the Piscataway Community Television Station (PCTV)with excellent programming. Additionally, a quarterly newsletter is mailed to all residents. The town offers residents the ability to connect on social media platforms and the township website offers up to date information for our residents.
Your Tax Dollars
Please note that autonomous authorities such as Middlesex County and the Board of Education determine their own tax rates and budgets.
2024 Township Budget Lowers Municipal Tax Rate by Another 7.39% to Offset Major Gains in Property Value
April 17, 2024 – For the seventh year in a row, Mayor Brian C. Wahler and the Piscataway Township Council passed an annual budget that lowers the municipal tax rate, providing top quality municipal services to residents and offsetting much of the significant increase in the value of residential homes.
“The wisest investment strategy over the past several years has been owning a home in Piscataway,” Mayor Wahler said. “With a financially responsible budget that prioritizes residents first, even more dividends are provided to local families with great roads, parks and programs.”
In 2018, the municipal tax rate was lowered by 12.8 percent from the 2017 rate. In 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, it was lowered slightly each year. It was lowered by 8.11 percent last year and now it has been lowered another 7.39 percent for 2024.
“Piscataway finances are strong and sound,” Council President Gabrielle Cahill (At-Large) said. “With businesses providing a big portion of the municipal tax base, we are moving Piscataway forward with a responsible budget that keeps our community and its future vibrant.
Piscataway also maintains stellar bond ratings, specifically, AA+ stable from Standard & Poor’s and its equivalent, Aa1(stable) from Moody’s which are both their second highest ratings possible. According to Moody’s, “The stable outlook reflects the township’s strong and stable reserve position and growing local economy.”
A municipal government acts as a tax collector for all of the local governing authorities. Piscataway Township also collects property taxes for Middlesex County, Piscataway Schools, Fire Districts, Piscataway Public Library and Middlesex County’s Open Space for which their elected and appointed boards each determine their own tax rates and budgets. Piscataway generally only keeps just over one-quarter of all collected property taxes for municipal use.
Our Community Center
Piscataway Community Center
Ceremonial shovels were dug into the ground by many dignitaries in March 2019 as a large group of residents looked across a vibrant construction site for the Piscataway Community Center.
Opened in the Summer of 2020, our $32 million facility has an aquatic center with three pools, a full-size basketball court with an overhead running track, a fitness center with modern exercise machines, dance and art studios, a youth activity room and a community room, men’s, women’s and family locker rooms, a café and a large space for group meetings. Outside is the family friendly spray park.
“Our dream of a family fun epicenter for all ages has been realized,” Piscataway Mayor Brian C. Wahler said. “All of our residents stuck together through the 2008 financial crash and Hurricane Sandy, and we can now celebrate a great achievement for everyone in our Township.”
Plans for the community center began in 2004 but the 2008 national economic crisis made financing the project unattainable. Also needed were improvements to Route 18 by the New Jersey Dept. of Transportation and underground work by utility companies. When Hurricane Sandy struck in 2012, utility companies rightfully focused all of their efforts on the Jersey Shore but that again delayed building construction.
Piscataway Township became able to build the Community Center after Mayor Wahler and the Township Council rejuvenated the local tax base by attracting state-of-the-art logistics centers and other new companies into Piscataway, recognizing the changes in the regional and national economy from office parks to clean fulfillment centers. These new companies are also providing good paying jobs for hard working residents.
“The steady stream of revenue created by new companies in Piscataway is what made building the community center possible,” Mayor Wahler said. “We deftly harnessed the vitality of our community to match changing national economic trends and created a wonderful family friendly facility.”
The Community Center located on Hoes Lane (Route 18) in Piscataway just south of the Township’s Kennedy Library. It is the shining jewel in our beautiful township! Visit soon and see for yourself.