Editing Phillipsburg, New Jersey (section)

==Government==
===Local government===
Phillipsburg is governed under the [[Faulkner Act (mayor–council)|Mayor-Council]] system of municipal government within the [[Faulkner Act]], formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law. The town is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government.<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 the Mayor and the five-member Town Council. Councilmembers are elected [[at-large]] in partisan elections to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either three seats or two seats and the mayoral seat up for election in odd-numbered years as part of the November general election.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 103.</ref><ref>[http://phillipsburgnj.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8:form-of-government&catid=1:government&Itemid=17 Form of Government], Town of Phillipsburg. Accessed July 22, 2014.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=10 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 10. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref>

{{As of|2022}}, the [[List of mayors of Phillipsburg, New Jersey|Mayor]] of Phillipsburg is [[Republican Party (New Jersey)|Republican]] Todd M. Tersigni, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023.<ref name=Mayor>[http://www.phillipsburgnj.org/our-town/mayor-council/ Mayor], Town of Phillipsburg. Accessed May 16, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/western-newjersey/republican-todd-tersigni-wins-phillipsburg-mayoral-race/article_2dfc7908-0013-11ea-a4bf-bb32c726c1db.html "Republican Todd Tersigni wins Phillipsburg mayoral race"], [[WFMZ-TV]], November 6, 2019. Accessed November 23, 2021. "Democratic Phillipsburg Mayor Stephen Ellis has conceded the mayoral race to Republican Todd Tersigni. Ellis become the first Democrat to take the mayor's office in over a decade, but fighting between parties over the years had led to former Democrat, now Republican Tersigni to run."</ref> Members of the Town Council are Council President Harry L. Wyant (R, 2023), Council Vice President Lee M. Clark ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]], 2025), Keith A. Kennedy (D, 2025), Peter Marino (R, 2025) and Randy S. Piazza Jr. (R, 2023).<ref>[http://www.phillipsburgnj.org/our-town/town-council/ Town Council], Town of Phillipsburg. Accessed May 16, 2022.</ref><ref>[http://www.phillipsburgnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/2119_introbudget_2022_.pdf#page=11 2022 Municipal Data Sheet], Town of Phillipsburg. Accessed May 16, 2022.</ref><ref name=Warren2021>[https://www.warrencountyvotes.com/home/showpublisheddocument/3284/637729175316070000 Summary Results Report 2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results], Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Warren2019>[https://www.warrencountyvotes.com/home/showpublisheddocument/2470/637642013517370000 General Election November 5, 2019, Warren County Official Tally], [[Warren County, New Jersey]], updated November 12, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref>

In 2018, the town had an average property tax bill of $4,387, the lowest in the county, compared to an average bill of $6,982 in Warren County and $8,767 statewide.<ref>[https://www.state.nj.us/dca/divisions/dlgs/resources/property_docs/18_data/18taxes.xls 2018 Property Tax Information], [[New Jersey Department of Community Affairs]], updated January 16, 2019. Accessed November 7, 2019.</ref><ref>Marcus, Samantha. [https://www.nj.com/politics/2019/04/these-are-the-towns-with-the-lowest-property-taxes-in-each-of-njs-21-counties.html "These are the towns with the lowest property taxes in each of N.J.'s 21 counties"], NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], April 30, 2019. Accessed November 7, 2019. "New Jersey's average property tax bill may have hit $8,767 last year — a new record — but taxpayers in some parts of the state pay just a fraction of that.... The average property tax bill in Phillipsburg was $4,387 in 2018, the lowest in Warren County."</ref>

====Selected mayors of Phillipsburg====
{{Incomplete list|date=October 2022}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! Mayor
! Term begins
! Term ends
! Notes
|-
| [[Charles Sitgreaves]]<ref name=Sitgreaves/>
| 1861
| 1862
| First mayor. Major commandant in the New Jersey State militia. Member of the state general assembly 1831 to 1833. Served in the state senate 1851 to 1854. Served as city councilman from 1834 to 1835.
|-
| ?
| 1863
| 1887
| ?
|-
| Irwin W. Schultz
| 1884
| 1885
| [[Lafayette College]] alumnus. Local lawyer. Served a single year-long term as mayor and refused to stand for re-election.
|-
| ?
| 1886
| 1886
| ?
|-
| John H. Griffith
| 1887
| 1894
| Former city physician. Remained active in fraternal and charitable organizations after being mayor. 
|-
| Vernon D. Best<ref name="Best">{{cite web |last1=Kestenbaum |first1=Lawrence |title=Mayors and Postmasters of Phillipsburg, New Jersey |url=https://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/NJ/ofc/phillipsburg.html |website=politicalgraveyard.com |access-date=October 28, 2022}}</ref>
| 1953
| 1954
| ?
|-
| William M. Norton<ref name="Norton">{{cite web |title=WILLIAM NORTON, 79, PHILLIPSBURG OFFICIAL, BUSINESSES OWNER |url=https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1996-04-11-3096896-story.html |website=www.mcall.com |access-date=October 28, 2022}}</ref>
| 1954
| 1958
| Local self-made millionaire of the Norton Oil Co. Testified to Congress about the creation of new toll highways as a source of local revenue in 1956.
|-
| Arthur Paini<ref name="Paini">{{cite web |title=FORMER MAYOR PAINI DIES CANCER TAKES LIFE OF LONGTIME P'BURG LEADER |url=https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1992-04-06-2863630-story.html |website=www.mcall.com |access-date=October 28, 2022}}</ref>
| 1958
| 1960
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. Served on the city commission from 1950 to 1958. Unsuccessfully challenged Decker in the 1992 election.
|-
| James A. Bianchi<ref name="Bianchi">{{cite web |title=JAMES A. BIANCHI, 89, EX-PHILLIPSBURG MAYOR |url=https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1996-07-04-3111170-story.html |website=www.mcall.com |access-date=October 28, 2022}}</ref>
| 1979
| 1980
| Served as a city councilman from 1966 to 1972. 
|-
| ?
| 1981
| 1991
| ?
|-
|Gloria Decker<ref>{{cite news|last1=Novak|first1=Melanie|title=Mayor Decker Seeks Re-election|url=https://www.mcall.com/1995/03/16/mayor-decker-seeks-re-election/|access-date=March 24, 2016|publisher=The Morning Call|date=March 16, 1995}}</ref>
| 1992
| 1996
| Former leader of the [[Warren County, New Jersey|Warren County]]. Elected mayor as a Democrat, switched party affiliations to [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] in 1994 and lost her re-election bid in 1995.
|-
| Thomas W. Corcoran<ref name="Corcoran">{{cite web |title=Thomas W. Corcoran |url=https://www.mcall.com/news/mc-xpm-1995-03-16-3015958-story.html |website=www.mcall.com |access-date=October 28, 2022}}</ref>
| 1996
| 2000
| Democrat. Defeated incumbent Decker. Long-time chairman of the Phillipsburg Democratic Party. [[United States Navy|Navy]] veteran from [[World War II]] and the [[Korean War]].
|-
| Harry Wyant Jr.<ref name="Wyant">{{cite web |last1=Novak |first1=Steve |title=Phillipsburg mayor, departing councilmen thanked for service |url=https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/phillipsburg/2015/12/phillipsburg_mayor_departing_c.html |website=www.lehighvalleylive.com |access-date=October 28, 2022}}</ref>
| 2000
| 2016
| Republican. Served on the town council before serving as mayor for 16 years. Despite this lengthy career, he only voted on the town council once, to appoint his replacement. He and his replacement were defeated in 2016.
|-
| Stephen Ellis<ref name="Ellis">{{cite web |last1=Novak |first1=Steve |title=Phillipsburg's last mayor is gone, but legal issues remain. An update on the trials and lawsuits. |url=https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/phillipsburg/2020/02/phillipsburgs-last-mayor-is-gone-but-legal-issues-remain-an-update-on-the-trials-and-lawsuits.html |website=www.lehighvalleylive.com |access-date=October 28, 2022}}</ref>
| 2016
| 2020
| Democrat. Defeated Wyant in the 2016 election. He graduated from [[Phillipsburg High School (New Jersey)|Phillipsburg High School]]. Undergraduate degree at [[Slippery Rock University]] and master's degree from [[Rutgers University–New Brunswick|Rutgers University]], [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]]. He lost his bid for re-election in 2020 to Todd Tersigni.
|-
| Todd M. Tersigni<ref name="Tersigni">{{cite web |last1=DeGerolamo |first1=Danielle |title=TAPinto Phillipsburg Meet the Leaders Series: Mayor Todd M. Tersigni |url=https://www.tapinto.net/towns/phillipsburg/sections/government/articles/tapinto-phillipsburg-meet-the-leaders-series-mayor-todd-m-tersigni |website=www.tapinto.net |access-date=October 28, 2022}}</ref>
| 2020
| Incumbent 
| Republican. Graduate of [[Phillipsburg High School (New Jersey)|Phillipsburg High School]] and [[Seton Hall University]]. Served two terms on the town council from 2012 to 2020.
|-
|}

===Federal, state and county representation===
Phillipsburg is located in the 7th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2012-congressional-districts/njcd-2011-plan-components-county-mcd.pdf Plan Components Report], [[New Jersey Redistricting Commission]], December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2023>[https://pub.njleg.gov/publications/pdf/2023-NJ-Leg-District-Map.pdf Municipalities Sorted by 2023-2031 Legislative District], [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Accessed September 1, 2023.</ref>

{{NJ Congress 07}} {{NJ Senate}}

{{NJ Legislative 23}}

{{NJ Warren County Commissioners}}

===Politics===
As of March 2011, there were a total of 7,681 registered voters in Phillipsburg, of which 2,496 (32.5% vs. 21.5% countywide) were registered as [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], 1,510 (19.7% vs. 35.3%) were registered as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and 3,665 (47.7% vs. 43.1%) were registered as [[Unaffiliated (New Jersey)|Unaffiliated]]. There were 10 voters registered as [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarians]] or [[Green Party (United States)|Greens]].<ref name=VoterRegistration>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2011-warren-co-summary-report.pdf Voter Registration Summary – Warren], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref> Among the town's 2010 Census population, 51.4% (vs. 62.3% in Warren County) were registered to vote, including 69.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 81.5% countywide).<ref name=VoterRegistration/><ref>[http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTP7.ST16?slice=GEO~0400000US34 GCT-P7: Selected Age Groups: 2010 – State – County Subdivision; 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20200212202223/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTP7.ST16?slice=GEO~0400000US34 |date=February 12, 2020 }}, [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref>

In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012|2012 presidential election]], Democrat [[Barack Obama]] received 2,487 votes (56.6% vs. 40.8% countywide), ahead of Republican [[Mitt Romney]] with 1,751 votes (39.8% vs. 56.0%) and other candidates with 88 votes (2.0% vs. 1.7%), among the 4,394 ballots cast by the town's 7,730 registered voters, for a turnout of 56.8% (vs. 66.7% in Warren County).<ref>[http://njelections.org/2012-results/2012-presidential-warren.pdf Presidential November 6, 2012 General Election Results – Warren County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118065243/http://njelections.org/2012-results/2012-presidential-warren.pdf |date=January 18, 2014 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, March 15, 2013. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref><ref>[http://njelections.org/2012-results/2012-ballotscast-warren.pdf Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast November 6, 2012 General Election Results – Warren County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140118065245/http://njelections.org/2012-results/2012-ballotscast-warren.pdf |date=January 18, 2014 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, March 15, 2013. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2008|2008 presidential election]], Democrat Barack Obama received 2,673 votes (54.8% vs. 41.4% countywide), ahead of Republican [[John McCain]] with 1,983 votes (40.6% vs. 55.2%) and other candidates with 116 votes (2.4% vs. 1.6%), among the 4,879 ballots cast by the town's 7,636 registered voters, for a turnout of 63.9% (vs. 73.4% in Warren County).<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2008-gen-elect-presidential-results-warren.pdf 2008 Presidential General Election Results: Warren County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2004|2004 presidential election]], Democrat [[John Kerry]] received 2,412 votes (49.8% vs. 37.2% countywide), ahead of Republican [[George W. Bush]] with 2,324 votes (48.0% vs. 61.0%) and other candidates with 66 votes (1.4% vs. 1.3%), among the 4,842 ballots cast by the town's 7,176 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.5% (vs. 76.3% in the whole county).<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2004-presidential_warren_co_2004.pdf 2004 Presidential Election: Warren County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref>

{{PresHead|place=Phillipsburg|source=<ref>{{Cite web |title=NJ DOS - Division of Elections - Election Results Archive |url=https://nj.gov/state/elections/election-information-results.shtml |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=nj.gov}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|2,826|2,752|95|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|2,781|2,948|118|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|2,352|2,077|293|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|1,751|2,487|88|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|1,983|2,673|116|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|2,324|2,412|66|New Jersey}}
|}

In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2013|2013 gubernatorial election]], Republican [[Chris Christie]] received 63.8% of the vote (1,667 cast), ahead of Democrat [[Barbara Buono]] with 33.6% (879 votes), and other candidates with 2.6% (68 votes), among the 2,694 ballots cast by the town's 7,909 registered voters (80 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 34.1%.<ref name=2013Elections>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-warren.pdf |title=Governor – Warren County |date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-ballotscast-warren.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast – November 5, 2013 – General Election Results – Warren County|date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref> In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009|2009 gubernatorial election]], Republican Chris Christie received 1,321 votes (44.1% vs. 61.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat [[Jon Corzine]] with 1,159 votes (38.7% vs. 25.7%), Independent [[Chris Daggett]] with 365 votes (12.2% vs. 9.8%) and other candidates with 77 votes (2.6% vs. 1.5%), among the 2,994 ballots cast by the town's 7,437 registered voters, yielding a 40.3% turnout (vs. 49.6% in the county).<ref>[http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-warren.pdf 2009 Governor: Warren County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017230758/http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-warren.pdf |date=October 17, 2012 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed June 13, 2013.</ref>