Editing Bergenfield, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Bergenfield is governed under the [[Borough (New Jersey)|borough]] form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.<ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/inventory_of_municipal_forms_of_government_in_new_jersey.pdf ''Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey''], [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected [[at-large]] on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 157.</ref> The borough form of government used by Bergenfield is a "[[weak mayor]] / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can [[veto]] ordinances subject to an [[veto override|override]] by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.<ref>Cerra, Michael F. [https://www.njlm.org/809/3982/Forms-of-Govt-Magazine-Article "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask"], [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], March 2007. Accessed November 29, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=6 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 6. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref>

{{As of|2024}}, the mayor of Bergenfield is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Arvin Amatorio|Arvin Amatorio,]] whose term of office ends December 31, 2027; a former borough council member, Amatorio unseated [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Norman Schmelz in the 2019 election.<ref>Tagala, Don. [https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/11/07/19/new-jersey-borough-elects-2nd-filipino-american-mayor?emci=0cf37727-6e01-ea11-828b-2818784d6d68&emdi=6a1d495f-8d01-ea11-828b-2818784d6d68&ceid=2827853 "New Jersey borough elects 2nd Filipino-American mayor"], [[ABS-CBN]], November 7, 2019. Accessed ay 5, 2022. "Trump-style mudslinging from incumbent Republican Mayor Norman Schmelz did not stop Filipino-American candidate Arvin Amatorio from becoming the next mayor of Bergenfield, New Jersey on Tuesday's election. Democratic council president Arvin Amatorio unseated Schmelz by at least 166 votes, making him the second Filipino-American to win as mayor of Bergenfield borough, home to more than 5,000 Filipinos."</ref> Members of the Borough Council are Council President Ora Kornbluth(D, 2025), Domingo Almonte (D, 2026), Salvador S. "Buddy" Deauna (D, 2025), Hernando Rivera-Mejia  (D, 2027), Thomas A. Lodato (D, 2027) and Marc Pascual (D, 2026).<ref name=GoverningBody>[https://www.bergenfield.com/mayor-and-council Mayor and Council], Borough of Bergenfield. Accessed April 21, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://bergenfield.com/downloads/category/147-finance?download=2147:2024-municipal-budget-as-introduced 2024 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Bergenfield. Accessed April 21, 2024.</ref><ref name=BergenCountyDirectory>[https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/images/About_Bergen_County/2024-county-directory.pdf#page=35 ''2024 County and Municipal Directory''], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], April 2024. Accessed April 15, 2024.</ref><ref name=Bergen2023>[https://www.bergencountyclerk.gov/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/District%20Canvass%20NEW.pdf Official Statement of Vote 2023 General Election - November 7, 2023 Official Results], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], November 27, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Bergen2022>[https://www.bergencountyclerk.org/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/Certified%20Statement%20of%20Vote%20Book%2011-21-22.pdf Bergen County November 8, 2022 General Election Statement of Vote], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Bergen2021>[https://www.bergencountyclerk.org/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/Statement%20of%20Vote%2011-17-21(1).pdf Bergen County Statement of Vote November 2, 2021 Official results], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], updated November 17, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref>

In March 2023, the borough council appointed Domingo Almonte to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held been held by Rafael Marte.<ref>[https://bergenfieldborough.com/mayor-and-council/actions/mayor-council-minutes?download=1933:mayor-council-regular-meeting-minutes-3-21-23 Mayor and Council Work Session Minutes for March 21, 2023], Borough of Bergenfield. Accessed April 21, 2024.</ref>

In January 2020, the borough council selected Marc Pascual to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Arvin Amatorio until he stepped down to take office as mayor.<ref>[https://www.insidernj.com/press-release/mayor-amatorios-historic-swearing-ceremony-draws-hundreds-residents-dozens-elected-officials/ "Mayor Amatorio's Historic Swearing-in Ceremony Draws Hundreds of Residents and Dozens of Elected Officials"], Insider NJ, January 6, 2020. Accessed March 19, 2020. "To begin his term as Mayor, Amatorio vacated his Council seat, and the Council unanimously appointed local businessman Marc Pascual to serve the remaining one year on Amatorio's original Council term."</ref>

In January 2017, the borough council selected Rafael Marte to fill the seat expiring in December 2017 that had been held by [[Chris Tully]] until he resigned from office earlier that month.<ref>DeVencentis, Philip. [http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/bergenfield/2017/01/18/bergenfield-vacancy-filled-former-councilman/96734596/ "Former councilman tapped to fill vacancy in Bergenfield"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', January 18, 2017. Accessed May 22, 2017. "Rafael Marte, a former councilman, returned to public service Tuesday to fill a seat on the Borough Council vacated by Christopher Tully, who recently resigned. The council selected Marte, 53, a Democrat, from a pool of three candidates chosen to fill the post through the end of the year by the borough's Democratic party leaders."</ref>