Edison Township Council Pushes Ahead With Pay Raises
Council set to vote on salary doubles while tabling controversial pay shift for service members
The Edison Township Council will meet on Wednesday to finalize 120% pay raises for members. (Source)
Chris Howell | February 10, 2026
The Edison Township Council is advancing a controversial plan to more than double member salaries, even as it backtracks on a separate measure that would have slashed pay for township employees on active military duty.
Following Monday’s work session, officials kept a salary ordinance on this Wednesday’s agenda that would see council compensation skyrocket by 120 percent. If approved, annual pay for regular council members will jump from $17,500 to $38,500, while the council president’s salary would rise to $39,500.
Because the ordinance was already introduced at a previous meeting, the council is now moving toward a final vote. Unlike a work session where leaders just talk, the regular meeting this Wednesday is where these plans become law.
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Military Pay Ordinance Sidelined
While the council moved ahead with their own raises, they paused a plan that would have affected some local service members. Right now, Edison workers who are called to extended active military duty receive their full township paycheck. The new law would have switched those employees to differential pay, which only covers the gap between their town pay and their military pay.
After residents spoke out against the plan, the council tabled”the item, which means it is on hold for now. Councilman Richard Brescher expressed concerns about the plan during the last regular meeting, stating he would “never take a nickel” from military members.
Even with the plan on hold, the town must still follow state law, which says National Guard members must get 90 days of full pay.
Restoration of Public Comment Time
In a win for transparency, the council added a plan to give residents more time to speak at meetings. The new rule would let people talk for six minutes during public comments. This follows a promise from Council Vice President Robert Kentos to bring back longer speaking times. Almost everyone on the council agreed to add this to the agenda, though Council President Joseph Coyle voted “no.”
Concerns Over $375,000 Engineering Bill
The meeting also included a debate over a $375,000 bill for asbestos work at the Stelton Community Center. Councilman Brescher called the price “exorbitant” and questioned how the town picked the company for the job. Town officials defended the cost, explaining that the old building needs a lot of work to make it safe for the public.
Eminent Domain for Drainage Project
Finally, the council is moving forward with a plan to use eminent domain to take 40 parcels of land. This township says the property is needed for a drainage project near Calvert Avenue and Abbott Court, and Wayne Road and Huntington Road, to help stop local flooding.
Eminent domain is a power that lets the government take private land for public projects. Because this is for “public use” (mitigating flooding), the town does not need to prove the area is run-down. Instead, they follow the Eminent Domain Act of 1971, which says the town must pay the owners a fair price for the land they take and assist with relocation.
What’s Next: The Edison Township Council will hold its regular meeting and final votes this Wednesday. Residents are encouraged to attend and share their opinions on these high-impact decisions.
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