Editing Clifton, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
The city of Clifton is governed under the [[1923 Municipal Manager Law]]. The city is one of seven municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form.<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''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601184216/https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/inventory_of_municipal_forms_of_government_in_new_jersey.pdf |date=June 1, 2023 }}, [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body is the City Council, which is comprised of seven council members, with all positions elected [[at-large]] on a [[non-partisan democracy|non-partisan]] basis to concurrent four-terms of office as part of the November general election. The mayor is chosen by the City Council, with the position traditionally given to the top vote getter in the previous election.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], April 2006, p. 165.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=9 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604040836/https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=9 |date=June 4, 2023 }}, p. 9. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> Clifton's municipal elections had been held in May, as required for municipalities conducting non-partisan elections. Following the passage of a state law in 2010 allowing non-partisan elections to be shifted to November, Clifton voters were overwhelmingly in favor of the move in a non-binding referendum held in November 2013. On December 13, 2013, the Clifton City Council voted 6–0, with one abstention, to make the move to November local elections binding, which had the effect of extending the terms of all sitting council members by six months, from June 30 to December 31. Officials cited increased voter participation and reduced costs as the justifications behind supporting the shift.<ref>Gicas, Tony. [http://www.northjersey.com/news/235689661_Clifton_elections_officially_changed_to_November.html "Clifton elections officially changed to November"], ''Clifton Journal'', December 13, 2013. Accessed February 10, 2014. "After months of passionate debate and an overwhelming vote of confidence from City voters on a non-binding referendum last month, the municipal council officially moved its election date from May to November.... After months of passionate debate and an overwhelming vote of confidence from City voters on a non-binding referendum last month, the municipal council officially moved its election date from May to November."</ref>

As of 2023, Clifton's mayor is Raymond Grabowski, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. He replaced James Anzaldi, who had been one of the members of the City Council since 1978, and was first selected to be mayor in 1990, succeeding two-term mayor Gloria Kolodziej. Anzaldi was the first mayor in Clifton's history to be elected to six terms.<ref>Greenberg, Adam. [http://www.northjersey.com/news/051110_Anzaldi_wins_historic_sixth_term_as_mayor_in_Clifton.html "Anzaldi wins historic sixth term as mayor in Clifton"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130818232521/http://www.northjersey.com/news/051110_Anzaldi_wins_historic_sixth_term_as_mayor_in_Clifton.html |date=August 18, 2013 }}, ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', May 11, 2010. Accessed January 13, 2013. "James Anzaldi, the city's longest-serving mayor, finished strong in Tuesday's election, taking both a ninth City Council term and an unprecedented sixth term as mayor, as the election's top vote-getter."</ref> The other current members of the City Council are Chris D'Amato, William "Bill" Gibson, Antonio Latona, Joseph Kolodziej, Rosemary Pino, Mary Sadrakula, all of whom are serving concurrent terms of office that end on December 31, 2026.<ref name=Council>[https://www.cliftonnj.org/101/Council City Council] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191224214245/https://www.cliftonnj.org/101/Council |date=December 24, 2019 }}, City of Clifton. Accessed April 10, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.cliftonnj.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/150 2022 Municipal Data Sheet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221121035925/https://www.cliftonnj.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/150 |date=November 21, 2022 }}, City of Clifton. Accessed November 20, 2022.</ref><ref name=PassaicDirectory>[https://www.passaiccountynj.org/home/showpublisheddocument/1938/637667926512370000#page=67 ''Passaic County 2021 Directory''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309161935/https://www.passaiccountynj.org/home/showpublisheddocument/1938/637667926512370000#page=67 |date=March 9, 2022 }}, [[Passaic County, New Jersey]], April 2021. Accessed April 10, 2022.</ref><ref name=Passaic2018>[http://www.passaiccountynj.org/Election%20Results/2018/Official%20Results%20-%202018%20General%20Election%20-Summary.pdf November 6, 2018 Summary Report Passaic County Official Results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191221055903/http://www.passaiccountynj.org/Election%20Results/2018/Official%20Results%20-%202018%20General%20Election%20-Summary.pdf |date=December 21, 2019 }}, [[Passaic County, New Jersey]], updated November 12, 2015. Accessed September 15, 2019.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Clifton City Council sticks with tradition in naming its first new mayor in 32 years |url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/passaic/clifton/2023/01/04/clifton-nj-ray-grabowski-mayor-top-vote-getter/69775910007/ |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=North Jersey Media Group |language=en-US |archive-date=January 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230104022822/https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/passaic/clifton/2023/01/04/clifton-nj-ray-grabowski-mayor-top-vote-getter/69775910007/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.northjersey.com/story/news/passaic/clifton/2024/02/06/clifton-nj-chris-damato-fill-lauren-murphys-council-seat/72491327007//2024/02/06/clifton-nj-chris-damato-fill-lauren-murphys-council-seat/72491327007/ | title=Clifton appoints Chris d'Amato to fill Lauren Murphy's council seat }}</ref>

Grabowski's election and Council nomination as mayor ended up being considered the most contentious local political event since 1966, when the then-top vote getter, Bill Bate, the only Democrat on the Council at that time, ended up getting passed over in favor of Joseph Vanecek, as, this time around, Grabowski would only get four of the seven possible votes on the Council, as opposed to Anzaldi, who won most, if not all, of those votes unanimously, in each of his terms, with the other three votes going to newcomer Antonio Latona (Grabowski/Kolodziej/Murphy/Sadrakula voting for Grabowski; Gibson/Latona/Pino, surprisingly, voting for Latona, all despite Gibson reportedly privately considering taking enough of those votes away from Grabowski to become mayor himself as of January 2023, even though Grabowski won at the polls in November 2022 by the final margin of roughly 9,400–8,200).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-03 |title=Surprising Twist to Clifton's Mayoral Selection as Some Leave Tradition Behind {{!}} The Clifton Times |url=https://thecliftontimes.com/g/clifton-nj/n/137753/surprising-twist-cliftons-mayoral-selection-some-leave-tradition-behind |access-date=2023-01-05 |website=thecliftontimes.com |language=en |archive-date=January 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105202450/https://thecliftontimes.com/g/clifton-nj/n/137753/surprising-twist-cliftons-mayoral-selection-some-leave-tradition-behind |url-status=live }}</ref>