Edison Council Unanimously Approves Mayor’s 32% Pay Raise After Residents Speak Out
Mayor’s salary jumps to $198,000 as council backs new pay ordinance despite sharp public criticism
The Edison Municipal Council approved a 32% pay raise for Mayor Sam Joshi, increasing his salary to $198,000 (Source: Edison Township)
Chris Howell | December 23, 2025
The Edison Township Council voted unanimously Monday night to approve a controversial ordinance raising the mayor’s salary by 32 percent and increasing pay ceilings for several top township officials, despite vocal opposition from residents during public comment.
The ordinance, approved on final reading, raises Mayor Sam Joshi’s salary from $150,000 to $198,000 and establishes new salary ranges for department heads, including the police chief, fire chief, business administrator, and several directors. The raise takes effect immediately.
Multiple residents spoke out against the mayor’s raise, arguing that the size of the increase was excessive and poorly timed, particularly as many township employees receive annual raises of roughly 3 percent under collective bargaining agreements. The mayor’s salary was last increased in 2022, meaning a township employee receiving typical 3 percent annual raises would have seen roughly 9 percent cumulative salary growth over the same period.
Former council member Joyce Ship Freeman sharply criticized the increase, calling the 32 percent jump “random” and out of step with the economic realities faced by residents.
“That’s why people are complaining about people in government, not just here, all over the place, making huge salaries,” Freeman said. “You know that our pockets are empty.”
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Other speakers echoed similar concerns, emphasizing that the mayor is an elected official rather than a township employee and questioning whether the raise was justified by performance or necessity. Several residents referenced inflation, rising taxes, and stagnant wages as reasons the increase felt disconnected from everyday financial pressures.
Council members, however, largely defended the ordinance and framed the mayor’s raise as a correction to bring the position in line with compensation levels for top township administrators.
Councilmember John Poyner pointed to the newly approved salary ranges for department heads, noting that police and fire chiefs can earn up to $310,000 and $270,000, respectively. At the same time, several directors now have maximum salaries exceeding $200,000.
“I believe that this is a fair level for the mayor position, for the elected position of the mayor, regardless of who is in the office,” Poyner said during the meeting.
Several other council members also argued that the discussion should focus on establishing a reasonable salary for the office itself, not on individual opinions of the current mayor.
“You can take umbrage in saying that you don’t believe he’s done a good job,” Councilmember Rochard Brescher said. “But obviously a lot of voters do believe he’s done a good job.”
Edison, with a population of approximately 110,000 and a municipal budget of $176 million, is one of New Jersey’s larger townships.
“I think that the mayor’s position has been grossly underpaid all this time for a 35-square-mile town such as we have, where things can happen anywhere at any time,” Council President Margot Harris said.
Councilmember Nishith Patel also spoke in support, suggesting that Edison’s mayoral salary should be evaluated alongside comparable municipalities and executive-level positions, including other large New Jersey townships and regional governments.
The new mayoral salary is comparable to neighboring Woodbridge Township, where Mayor John McCormac earned $201,000 last year in a community with a similar population of just over 100,000 residents.
Woodbridge Mayor John E. McCormac received a $201,592 salary in 2024, according to public records. (Image courtesy of Woodbridge Township)
After public comment closed, the council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance, with no amendments made to reduce or phase in the mayor’s raise.
The ordinance also formally establishes salary ceilings for department heads, though actual compensation for those positions remains subject to administrative decisions and, in some cases, collective bargaining agreements. Council members emphasized that the ordinance does not automatically grant raises to all officials at the top of the new ranges.
Mayor Sam Joshi did not respond to an email request for comment sent Monday afternoon.
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