Editing Ocean County, New Jersey (section)

===County government===
[[File:Ocean County Courthouse.jpg|thumb|300px|The [[Ocean County Courthouse]] in [[Toms River (CDP), New Jersey|Toms River]] was built in 1851.]]
Ocean County is governed by a [[Board of County Commissioners (New Jersey)|Board of County Commissioners]] comprised of five members who are elected on an [[at-large]] basis in partisan elections and serving staggered three-year terms of office, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization held in the beginning of January, the board chooses a Director and a deputy director from among its members.<ref>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=266 Freeholder to Commissioner History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208013641/https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=266 |date=December 8, 2022 }}, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref> In 2016, freeholders were paid $30,000 and the freeholder director was paid an annual salary of $31,000.<ref>Gallo Jr., Bill. [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/how_much_your_county_freeholders_others_in_nj_earn.html "Which N.J. county freeholders are paid the most?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026113548/http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/how_much_your_county_freeholders_others_in_nj_earn.html |date=October 26, 2017 }}, [[NJ.com]], March 11, 2016. Accessed October 25, 2017. "Freeholder director: $31,000; Other freeholders: $30,000"</ref> This remained unchanged in 2018

{{As of|2025}}, Ocean County's Commissioners are (with terms for chair and vice-chair ending every December 31):<ref>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmMeetCommissioners.aspx Meet our Commissioners] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130145504/https://co.ocean.nj.us/frmMeetCommissioners.aspx |date=November 30, 2022 }}, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx County Directory] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220407015002/https://co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx |date=April 7, 2022 }}, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Commissioner 
! Party, Residence, Term 
|-
| Robert Arace
| R, [[Manchester Township, New Jersey|Manchester Township]], 2027<ref>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=177 Commissioner Barbara Jo Crea] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130131004/https://co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=177 |date=November 30, 2022 }}, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Jennifer Bacchione
| R, [[Berkeley Township, New Jersey|Berkeley Township]], 2027<ref>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=5578 Commissioner Gary Quinn] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130151050/https://co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=5578 |date=November 30, 2022 }}, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref>
|-
| [[Virginia E. Haines]] 
| [[Republican Party (United States)|R]], [[Toms River, New Jersey|Toms River]], 2025<ref>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=2671 Commissioner Director Virginia E. Haines] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130132944/https://co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=2671 |date=November 30, 2022 }}, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref>
|-
| John P. Kelly 
| R, [[Eagleswood Township, New Jersey|Eagleswood Township]], 2025<ref>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=175 Commissioner John P. Kelly] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130143145/https://co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=175 |date=November 30, 2022 }}, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Frank Sadeghi
| R, Toms River, 2026<ref>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=173 Commissioner Joseph H. Vicari] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118060147/https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=173 |date=November 18, 2022 }}, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref>
|}

Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the [[New Jersey State Constitution]], each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as "constitutional officers." These officers are the [[County Clerk]] and [[Probate Court|County Surrogate]] (both elected for five-year terms of office) and the [[Sheriff|County Sheriff]] (elected for a three-year term).<ref>[http://www.nj.gov/state/archives/docconst47.html#page16 New Jersey State Constitution (1947), Article VII, Section II, Paragraph 2] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101123505/http://www.nj.gov/state/archives/docconst47.html#page16 |date=November 1, 2014 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Accessed October 26, 2017.</ref> Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are:<ref name="co.ocean.nj.us">[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/WebContentFiles/70fc90f8-5e4e-4454-a3c1-8ca3d0911f87.pdf 2022 Ocean County and Municipal Elected Officials] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220415061538/https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/WebContentFiles/70fc90f8-5e4e-4454-a3c1-8ca3d0911f87.pdf |date=April 15, 2022 }}, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref> Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Office
! Party, Residence, Term 
|-
| County Clerk Scott M. Colabella 
| R, [[Barnegat Light, New Jersey|Barnegat Light]], 2025<ref>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=179 County Clerk] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208013640/https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=179 |date=December 8, 2022 }}, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref><ref>[http://coanj.com/member-list/clerks/ Clerks] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221119064437/http://coanj.com/member-list/clerks/ |date=November 19, 2022 }}, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy 
| R, Toms River, 2025<ref>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=180 County Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208013644/https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=180 |date=December 8, 2022 }}, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://coanj.com/member-list/sheriffs/ Sheriffs] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917074252/https://coanj.com/member-list/sheriffs/ |date=September 17, 2021 }}, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Surrogate [[Jeffrey Moran]] 
| R, [[Beachwood, New Jersey|Beachwood]], 2028<ref>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=181 County Surrogate Jeffrey W. Moran] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208013642/https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=181 |date=December 8, 2022 }}, Ocean County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://coanj.com/member-list/surrogates/ Surrogates] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917074254/https://coanj.com/member-list/surrogates/ |date=September 17, 2021 }}, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref><ref name="co.ocean.nj.us"/>
|}

No Democrat has won a countywide office since 1989. The Ocean County Prosecutor is Bradley D. Billhimer, who was nominated by Governor [[Phil Murphy]]. Billhimer was sworn in by New Jersey Attorney General [[Gurbir Grewal]] on October 12, 2018.<ref>[https://ocponj.gov/staff/bradley-d-billhimer/ Bradley D. Billhimer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525072934/https://ocponj.gov/staff/bradley-d-billhimer/ |date=May 25, 2022 }}, Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. Accessed June 1, 2022.</ref><ref>Hopkins, Kathleen. [https://www.app.com/story/news/local/courts/2018/10/12/bradley-d-billhimer-sworn-ocean-county-prosecutor/1536063002/ "New Ocean County prosecutor once proposed at the courthouse"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240513200614/https://www.app.com/story/news/local/courts/2018/10/12/bradley-d-billhimer-sworn-ocean-county-prosecutor/1536063002/ |date=May 13, 2024 }}, ''[[Asbury Park Press]]'', October 12, 2018. Accessed October 13, 2018. "Flanked by Alyn and their two daughters, Mackenzie, 14, and Riley, 11, Billhimer was sworn in by state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal as Ocean County prosecutor.... Billhimer, a 48-year-old Democrat who was a criminal defense attorney for almost two decades, was sworn in privately Tuesday by Gov. Phil Murphy as the county's chief law-enforcement officer, succeeding former Prosecutor Joseph Coronato."</ref> Ocean County constitutes Vicinage 14 of the [[New Jersey Superior Court]] and is seated at the Ocean County Courthouse Complex in Toms River; the Assignment Judge for [[Vicinage Clause|Vicinage]] 14 is Marlene Lynch Ford.<ref>[http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/njcourts-10.html Local Courthouse Addresses] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160408044758/http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/njcourts-10.html |date=April 8, 2016 }}, New Jersey Courts. Accessed June 27, 2016.</ref><ref>[https://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/courts/vicinages/ocean.html Ocean Vicinage] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010211100/https://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/courts/vicinages/ocean.html |date=October 10, 2017 }}, New Jersey Courts. Accessed October 21, 2017.</ref> Ocean County operates the Ocean County Southern Service Center in Manahawkin.<ref>[http://twp.stafford.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/243 Ocean County Southern Service Center]{{Dead link|date=January 2022|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}} Accessed March 18, 2017</ref> This center offers access to all of the Ocean County government services without the need for residents to travel to the county seat located about {{convert|20|mi}} to the north.