PARSIPPANY — Former Mayor James Barberio approved annual salary increases for 24 municipal employees totaling more than $200,000 in additional taxpayer-funded compensation.
The raises, dated December 31, 2025, ranged from a high of $36,994.00 to a low of $1,800.00, with an average increase of $10,741.00.
One of the most notable adjustments involved the Administrative Assistant to the Mayor, AnneMarie Ferrara, prior to her transfer to the Finance Department.
Ferrara received two separate pay increases:
- $7,500 effective December 31, 2025
- $5,000 effective January 1, 2026
The combined $12,500 increase brought her annual salary to $82,547.99.
Dept. 70 (Finance Department as shown on the form)
| Name | Working Title | 12/31/2025 Raise | 2025 Adjusted Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Miskovitz | Account Clerk | $10,000.00 | $79,790.32 |
| Hayley Ferrara | Account Clerk | $10,000.00 | $64,821.00 |
| Kim Kelley | Payroll | $10,000.00 | $95,372.14 |
Despite his final year-end personnel actions, Barberio ultimately lost his bid for re-election in the November 2025 general election. Incumbent Barberio, a Republican and long-time resident of Parsippany-Troy Hills, was edged out by Democrat Pulkit Desai in one of the closest mayoral contests in recent memory — a margin of roughly 80 votes separated the candidates after all ballots were counted and certified.
Barberio’s campaign mounted multiple legal challenges to the results, including requests for a recount and claims of irregularities in the vote-by-mail process, but courts dismissed those efforts for lack of jurisdiction and insufficient evidence.
With Desai’s victory confirmed and a new administration taking office in January, Barberio’s year-end decisions — including the substantial salary increases — became among the final acts of his tenure, viewed through the prism of a narrow election defeat and a township transitioning to new leadership. In addition to the over $200,000 in raises, Barberio also received a $38,957.78 accumulated absences payout, an exit benefit that drew public scrutiny and renewed debate over fiscal priorities during the transition.
