Editing Surf City, New Jersey (section)

=== Local government ===
Surf City 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 the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected [[at-large]] on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The 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. 49.</ref> The borough form of government used by Surf City 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. [http://www.njslom.org/magart0307_p14.html "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924045019/http://www.njslom.org/magart0307_p14.html |date=2014-09-24 }}, [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]]. Accessed November 30, 2014.</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|2025}}, the mayor of Surf City Borough is [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Francis R. Hodgson Sr., whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. After serving 46 years on the borough council, Hodgson succeeded [[Leonard T. Connors|Leonard T. Connors Jr.]], who had served as the state senator from the 9th Legislative District and spent 50 years as mayor. With the death of [[Tinton Falls, NJ|Tinton Falls]] mayor Vito Perillo in 2025, Hodgson is currently the oldest incumbent mayor in New Jersey at the age of 92.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wildstein |first1=David |title=Political dynasties in a tiny Long Beach Island town |url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/political-dynasties-in-a-tiny-long-beach-island-town/ |website=New Jersey Globe |date=1 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wildstein |first1=David |title=America's oldest mayor dies at 100 |url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/fr/americas-oldest-mayor-dies-at-100/ |website=New Jersey Globe |date=23 February 2025}}</ref> Members of the Surf City Borough Council are Council President John H. Klose (R, 2024), Peter M. Hartney (R, 2022), William D. Hodgson (R, 2023), John D. McMenamin (R, 2023;appointed to serve an unexpired term), James B. Russell (R, 2024) and Jacqueline L. Siciliano (R, 2022).<ref name=Government>[https://surfcitynj.org/government/ Government], Borough of Surf City. Accessed September 4, 2022.</ref><ref>[http://surfcitynj.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/SC2018BUDGET.intro_.pdf 2018 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Surf City. Accessed September 4, 2022.</ref><ref name=OceanProfile>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=236 Borough of Surf City], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]]. Accessed September 4, 2022.</ref><ref name=OceanOfficials>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/WebContentFiles/70fc90f8-5e4e-4454-a3c1-8ca3d0911f87.pdf ''2022 Ocean County & Municipal Elected Officials''], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated August 25, 2022. Accessed September 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Ocean2021>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/WebContentFiles/07aecb2a-f6ce-4ef4-a6c3-7b7546fc9e3f.pdf 2021 General Election Official Results], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]]. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Ocean2020>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Ocean/106715/web.264614/#/summary 2020 General Election November 3, 2020 Official results], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]], updated December 2, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref><ref name=Ocean2019>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Ocean/98863/web/#/summary 2019 General Election Official Results November 5, 2019], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated November 15, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref> All of the seats on the borough council have been held by Republicans since Democrat Donald Cummings served on the council in the early 1960s; the last major electoral performance by a Democrat in a borough council election was in 1969 when Hodgson Sr. defeated Cummings' comeback bid by 200 votes.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Wildstein |first1=David |title=Political dynasties in a tiny Long Beach Island town |url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/political-dynasties-in-a-tiny-long-beach-island-town/ |website=New Jersey Globe |date=1 December 2023}}</ref>

John D. McMenamin was appointed to fill the council seat expiring in December 2023 that was vacant following the resignation of John G. Hadash III that same month.<ref>Scala, Gina G. [https://www.thesandpaper.net/articles/mcmenamin-appointed-to-surf-city-borough-council/ "McMenamin Appointed to Surf City Borough Council"], The Sand Paper, October 20, 2021. Accessed September 4, 2022. "Changes are in store for the Surf City Borough Council after one member resigned and another was granted relief from attending meetings due to a temporary illness by his peers at their monthly meeting last week. John G. Hadash III tendered his resignation earlier this month after selling his home in town."</ref>

In January 2016, John G. Hadash III was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2017 that had been held by Francis R. Hodgson Sr., until he stepped down in January 2016 to take office as mayor.<ref>Staff. [https://thesandpaper.villagesoup.com/p/francis-hodgson-takes-over-as-mayor-of-surf-city-after-serving-46-years-on-council/1467474 "Francis Hodgson Takes Over as Mayor of Surf City After Serving 46 Years on Council"], ''The Sand Paper'', January 13, 2016. Accessed June 6, 2018. "John Hadash was named head of the sanitation committee after being elected to fill the vacant council seat."</ref> Hadash served on an interim basis until the November 2016 general election, when voters chose him to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref name=Ocean2016>[http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Ocean/64650/Web02/#/ 2016 General Election Official Results November 8, 2016], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated November 16, 2016. Accessed January 30, 2017.</ref>