Crossing Guard Pay Questioned In Summit As City Approves 2026 Salary Plan

SUMMIT, NJ — City workers in Summit will see pay increases in 2026, but a discussion at the June 16 meeting also turned attention to the pay of crossing guards stationed at intersections throughout the city.

The Summit Common Council unanimously approved the city’s 2026 salary plan, which sets compensation for a wide range of municipal employees, including both union and non-union positions.

Council Member Michelle Kalmanson supported the measure, noting the importance of balancing fiscal responsibility with fair pay for city employees.

She also said the city is operating during what she described as a “really difficult economic climate.”

While the salary plan moved forward without any changes, Councilman Jamel Boyer used the meeting to focus on crossing guards and their pay.

Boyer said there is sometimes a belief that crossing guards have other financial support, but he said that is not always the case.

“I know Council Member Landman had told me before that some of them receive Social Security or unemployment benefits,” Boyer said. “And I did a little digging, and a lot of them don’t.”

He pointed to the nature of the job, saying crossing guards spend their shifts outdoors in all kinds of weather while helping children get safely to and from school.

“The people who cross our children across the street, who are working when it is cold outside and when it is hot outside, they can also use a little adjustment in their salaries,” Boyer said.

No changes to crossing guard compensation were made during the meeting.