EDISON – The Edison Township Council reorganized with veteran leadership at the helm.
Councilman Robert Diehl, who has been on the council for 20 years and has served as council president in previous years, was nominated to serve as council president in a 4-3 vote at the council’s reorganization meeting on Jan. 6.
Council members Diehl, Sam Joshi, Alvaro Gomez and Ajay Patil voted in favor of Diehl. Council members Richard Brescher, Joseph Coyle and Joyce Ship-Freeman voted in favor of Ship-Freeman to serve another term as council president.
Diehl appealed to his fellow council members to put aside personal agendas and ideas and work together in 2021.
“Things will be done more quickly, efficiently and effectively if we work together,” he said. “I think that’s important. I respect everyone on council and know we have different points of view and different opinions, but I know we’re all in the same place working for Edison.”
In a 4-3 vote, Joshi, who has been on the council since 2018, was nominated to served as vice president for a second year.
Diehl, Joshi, Gomez and Patil voted in favor of Joshi. Brescher, Coyle and Ship-Freeman voted in favor of Coyle to serve as council vice president.
Joshi said the township faced significant amount of challenges last year because of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“I saw Edison come together in quite a way we’ve really never seen,” he said.
Diehl and Joshi said they look forward to working with Mayor Thomas Lankey, his administration and council members to move the township forward.