Editing Essex County, New Jersey (section)

== Government ==
===County government===
The [[county seat]] of Essex County is [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]. Many offices and courts are concentrated at the [[Essex County Government Complex]]. Essex County is governed by the [[Essex County Executive|County Executive]] and the nine-member [[Board of County Commissioners (New Jersey)|Board of County Commissioners]], who administer all county business. Essex county joins [[Atlantic County, New Jersey|Atlantic]], [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen]], [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson]] and [[Mercer County, New Jersey|Mercer]] counties as one of the 5 of 21 New Jersey counties with an elected executive.<ref>Rinde, Meir. [http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/15/10/26/explainer-what-s-a-freeholder-understanding-nj-s-complex-government-system/ "Explainer: What's a Freeholder? NJ's Unusual County Government System"], NJ Spotlight, October 27, 2015. Accessed October 26, 2017. "Five counties &ndash; Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Mercer &ndash; opted for popularly elected county executives in addition to freeholder boards."</ref> The County Executive is elected by a direct vote of the electorate. Nine commissioners are elected to serve three-year concurrent terms of office. Five of the commissioners represent districts; four are elected from the county on an at-large basis. At an annual organization meeting, the commissioners choose a Commissioner President and vice-president from among its members to serve one-year terms.<ref>[https://ecfnj.com/2018/12/28/definition-of-a-freeholder/ Definition of the County Commissioners], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed October 22, 2017.</ref> In 2016, commissioners were paid $37,249 and the commissioner president was paid an annual salary of $38,211; commissioner salaries were the second-highest in the state, behind [[Hudson County, New Jersey|Hudson County]].<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?"], [[NJ.com]], March 11, 2016. Accessed October 25, 2017. "Freeholder president: $38,211; Other freeholders: $37,249"</ref> the county executive was paid $161,615 in 2015.<ref>Lagerkvist, Mark. [https://www.watchdog.org/new_jersey/double-dipping-tricks-cost-millions-in-nj-s-essex-county/article_d80a80eb-f200-5975-af95-7d1bbc013f8c.html "Double-dipping tricks cost millions in NJ's Essex County; To find double-dippers in New Jersey's Essex County, taxpayers only need look up. Three top county officials have pocketed more than $2.8 million in retirement pay in addition to their six-figure salaries."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116083702/https://www.watchdog.org/new_jersey/double-dipping-tricks-cost-millions-in-nj-s-essex-county/article_d80a80eb-f200-5975-af95-7d1bbc013f8c.html |date=November 16, 2018 }}, New Jersey Watchdog, August 31, 2015. Accessed October 26, 2017. "'Joe D,' as he is widely known, gets two checks for one job – $161,615 in salary as county executive plus $68,861 from pension as retired county executive."</ref>

{{As of|2025}}, the [[Essex County Executive]] is [[Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr.]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]], Roseland), whose four-year term of office ends December 31, 2026.<ref>[https://essexcountynj.org/essex-county-executive/ Essex County Executive], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref><ref>Mazzola, Jessica. [http://www.nj.com/essex/index.ssf/2017/12/political_power_player_to_seek_5th_term.html "Political power player to seek 5th term"], NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], December 8, 2017. Accessed March 8, 2018. "Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo is looking for another four years. The Democratic heavy hitter is expected to announce Monday his reelection bid to a fifth term in the county's top seat."</ref> Essex County's Commissioners are (with terms for president and vice president ending every December 31):<ref>[http://freeholders.essexcountynj.org/site/index.php Members of the Board], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed March 8, 2018.</ref><ref>[https://ecfnj.com/breakdown-of-freeholders-districts/ Breakdown of Commissioner Districts], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://essexcountynj.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/0700_certifiedadoptbudget_2021.pdf#page=11 2021 County Data Sheet], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref><ref name=EssexDirectory>[https://essexcountynj.org/county-directory/ County Directory], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Essex2020>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Essex/107144/web.264614/#/summary November 3, 2020, General Election Unofficial Results], Essex County, New Jersey, updated November 19, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! District
! Commissioner
|-
| 1 - Newark's North and East Wards, parts of Central and West Wards
| Robert Mercado (D, Newark, 2026)<ref>[https://ecfnj.com/team/robert-mercado/ Robert Mercado], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| 2 - [[Irvington, New Jersey|Irvington]], [[Maplewood, New Jersey|Maplewood]], [[Millburn, New Jersey|Millburn]] and [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark's]] South Ward and parts of West Ward
| A'Dorian Murray-Thomas (D, Newark, 2026)<ref>[https://ecfnj.com/team/wayne-l-richardson/ Wayne L. Richardson], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| 3 -  [[East Orange, New Jersey|East Orange]], [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]'s West and Central Wards, <br>[[Orange, New Jersey|Orange]] and [[South Orange, New Jersey|South Orange]]
| Vice President Tyshammie L. Cooper (D, East Orange, 2026)<ref>[https://ecfnj.com/team/tyshammie-l-cooper/ Tyshammie L. Cooper, Freeholder District 3], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| 4 - [[Caldwell, New Jersey|Caldwell]], [[Cedar Grove, New Jersey|Cedar Grove]], [[Essex Fells, New Jersey|Essex Fells]], [[Fairfield Township, Essex County, New Jersey|Fairfield]], [[Livingston, New Jersey|Livingston]], [[North Caldwell, New Jersey|North Caldwell]], [[Roseland, New Jersey|Roseland]], [[Verona, New Jersey|Verona]], [[West Caldwell, New Jersey|West Caldwell]] and [[West Orange, New Jersey|West Orange]]
| Leonard M. Luciano (D, West Caldwell, 2026)<ref>[https://ecfnj.com/team/leonard-m-luciano/ Leonard M. Luciano], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| 5 - [[Belleville, New Jersey|Belleville]], [[Bloomfield, New Jersey|Bloomfield]], [[Glen Ridge, New Jersey|Glen Ridge]], [[Montclair, New Jersey|Montclair]] and [[Nutley, New Jersey|Nutley]]
| President Carlos M. Pomares (D, Bloomfield, 2026)<ref>[https://ecfnj.com/team/carlos-m-pomares/ Carlos M. Pomares], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| at large
| Brendan W. Gill (D, Montclair, 2026)<ref>[https://ecfnj.com/team/brendan/ Brendan W. Gill], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| at large
| Romaine Graham (D, Irvington, 2026)<ref>[https://ecfnj.com/team/romaine-graham/ Romaine Graham], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| at large
|  Wayne Richardson (D, Newark, 2026)<ref>[https://ecfnj.com/team/rufus-i-johnson/ Rufus I. Johnson], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed March 8, 2018.</ref>
|-
| at large
| Patricia Sebold (D, Livingston, 2026)<ref>[https://ecfnj.com/team/patricia-sebold/ Patricia Sebold], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref>
|}

In February 2019, Romaine Graham was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Lebby Jones until her death the previous month.<ref>[https://essexnewsdaily.com/headlne-news/graham-chosen-to-fill-lebby-jones-vacant-freeholder-seat "Graham chosen to fill Lebby Jones' vacant freeholder seat"], ''Essex News Daily'', February 24, 2019. Accessed June 20, 2022. "Irvington Board of Education President Romaine Graham has been appointed to fill the seat left vacant on the Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders by former Freeholder Lebby Jones, who died of cancer Wednesday, Jan. 9."</ref> Graham served on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election, when she was chosen to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref name=Essex2019>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Essex/98882/Web02.235350/#/ November 5, 2019, General Election Unofficial Results], Essex County, New Jersey, updated November 14, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref> No Republican has won countywide office since 1998, a commissioner seat since 2001, and an at-large commissioner seat since 1971.<ref name="EssexChanges">[https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/18-of-21-new-jersey-counties-have-one-party-control/], Essex County, New Jersey. Accessed January 1, 2023.</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], [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref> Essex County is one of two counties statewide that has an elected Register of Deeds.<ref>[https://coanj.com/history/registers/ History of Registers], Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022. "A Register of Deeds is an elected County Statutory Officer who is responsible for recording, filing, and preserving all property transactions within the municipalities of the County in which they serve.... There are presently 2 out of 21 Counties in the State of New Jersey where the Office of Register of Deeds exists (Essex and Hudson Counties). In the other 19 Counties the functions of the Register are under the jurisdiction of the County Clerk."</ref> Essex County's constitutional officers and register are:<ref name=EssexDirectory/>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Title
! Representative
|-
| County Clerk
| Christopher J. Durkin (D, [[West Caldwell, New Jersey|West Caldwell]], 2025)<ref>[https://www.essexclerk.com/About About The Clerk], Essex County Clerk. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref><ref>[http://coanj.com/member-list/clerks/ Clerks], Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Sheriff
| Amir Jones (D, [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], 2027)<ref>[https://www.essexsheriff.com/sheriff/ Armando B. Fontura], Essex County Sheriff's Office. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://coanj.com/member-list/sheriffs/ Sheriffs], Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Surrogate
| Alturrick Kenney (D, Newark, 2028)<ref>[https://essexsurrogate.com/the-surrogate/ About the Surrogate], Essex County Surrogate's Court. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://coanj.com/member-list/surrogates/ Surrogates], Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Register
| Juan Rivera Jr. (D, [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]], 2029)<ref>[http://www.essexregister.com/about-the-register/ About the Register], Essex County Register of Deeds and Mortgages. Accessed June 20, 2022. "The Essex County Register is an elected, statutory officer who is responsible under the law for recording, filing, and preserving all property transactions within the 22 municipalities of the County. Registers serve five-year terms."</ref><ref>[https://coanj.com/member-list/registers/ Registers], Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 20, 2022.</ref>
|}

The Acting [[Essex County Prosecutor's Office|Essex County Prosecutor]] is Theodore N. Stephens II, who was appointed as acting prosecutor in September 2018. Stephens previously served as Essex County Surrogate from 2012 until his appointment as Acting Prosecutor.<ref>[http://www.njecpo.org/?page_id=107 Meet The Prosecutor], [[Essex County Prosecutor's Office]]. Accessed June 29, 2022.</ref> Essex County constitutes Vicinage 5 of the [[New Jersey Superior Court]], which is seated at the Veterans' Courthouse in Newark, which also houses the Criminal Part; civil and probate cases are heard at both the historic Essex County Courthouse and at the Essex County Hall of Records, also in Newark, while family and chancery cases are heard at the Robert N. Wilentz Court Complex, also in Newark, with additional facilities in [[East Orange, New Jersey|East Orange]]. The Assignment Judge for the vicinage is Sallyanne Floria.<ref>[https://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/courts/vicinages/essex.html], New Jersey Courts. Accessed October 22, 2017.</ref>

=== Federal representatives ===
Three federal [[New Jersey's congressional districts|Congressional Districts]] cover the county, including portions of the 8th, 10th and 11th Districts.<ref>[https://www.njredistrictingcommission.org/documents/2021/Data2021/Plan%20Components.pdf], [[New Jersey Redistricting Commission]], December 23, 2021. Accessed November 5, 2022.</ref> {{NJ Congress 08}} {{NJ Congress 10}} {{NJ Congress 11}}

=== State representatives ===
The 22 municipalities of Essex County are represented by five separate legislative districts.
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!District
!Senator<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=New Jersey Legislative Roster of Members {{!}} NJ Legislature|url=https://www.njleg.state.nj.us//legislative-roster|access-date=January 12, 2022|website=New Jersey Legislature}}</ref>
!Assembly<ref name=":0" />
!Municipalities
|-
|[[New Jersey's 27th legislative district|27th]]
|[[John F. McKeon]] [[Democratic Party (United States)|(D)]]
|[[Rosaura Bagoile]] (D)
[[Alixon Collazos-Gill]] (D)
|[[Livingston, New Jersey|Livingston]], [[Millburn, New Jersey|Millburn]], [[Montclair, New Jersey|Montclair]], [[Roseland, New Jersey|Roseland]], and [[West Orange, New Jersey|West Orange]]. The remainder of this district covers portions of Passaic County.
|-
|[[New Jersey's 28th legislative district|28th]]
|[[Renee Burgess]] (D)
|[[Garnet Hall]] (D)
[[Cleopatra Tucker]] (D)
|[[Irvington, New Jersey|Irvington]], [[Maplewood, New Jersey|Maplewood]], [[South Orange, New Jersey|South Orange]], and a portion of [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]. The remainder of this district covers portions of Union County.
|-
|[[New Jersey's 29th legislative district|29th]]
|[[Teresa Ruiz (politician)|Teresa Ruiz]] (D)
|[[Eliana Pintor Marin]] (D)
[[Shanique Speight]] (D)
|A portion of [[Newark, New Jersey|Newark]]. The remainder of this district covers portions of Hudson County.
|-
|[[New Jersey's 34th legislative district|34th]]
|[[Britnee Timberlake]] (D)
|[[Michael Venezia (New Jersey politician)|Michael Venezia]] (D)
[[Carmen Morales (New Jersey politician)|Carmen Morales]] (D)
|[[Belleville, New Jersey|Belleville]], [[Bloomfield, New Jersey|Bloomfield]], [[East Orange, New Jersey|East Orange]], [[Glen Ridge, New Jersey|Glen Ridge]], [[Nutley, New Jersey|Nutley]], and [[Orange, New Jersey|Orange]].
|-
|[[New Jersey's 40th legislative district|40th]]
|[[Kristin Corrado]] ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]])
|[[Al Barlas]] (R)
[[Christopher DePhillips]] (R)
|[[Caldwell, New Jersey|Caldwell]], [[Cedar Grove, New Jersey|Cedar Grove]], [[Essex Fells, New Jersey|Essex Fells]], [[Fairfield Township, Essex County, New Jersey|Fairfield]], [[North Caldwell, New Jersey|North Caldwell]], and [[Verona, New Jersey|Verona]]. The remainder of this district covers portions of [[Bergen County, New Jersey|Bergen County]] and Passaic County.
|}

===Law enforcement===
[[File:Police Academy Essex Co jeh.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Essex County Police Academy]]
Law enforcement at the county level is provided by the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and the Essex County Sheriff's Office. The Essex County Police was completely absorbed by the sheriff's office by 2007.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/csc/msb/decisions07/2007April/pdf/IMOCountyPoliceOfficersEssexCounty.pdf ''In the Matter of County Police Officers, Essex County Sheriff's Office''], [[New Jersey Department of State]], decided April 11, 2007. Accessed September 25, 2017. "Subsequently, in June 2006, the Essex County Sheriff (Sheriff) promulgated an order to consolidate the functions of the County Police with the Sheriff's Office."</ref> [[Essex County College]] and its satellite locations are patrolled by the Essex County College Police Department.<ref>[http://www.essex.edu/publicsafety/ Public Safety] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180906210113/http://www.essex.edu/publicsafety/ |date=September 6, 2018 }}, [[Essex County College]]. Accessed March 7, 2018.</ref>

In 2021, the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark ended its contract with [[U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement]] to hold undocumented immigrants, instead entering into a contract with [[Union County, New Jersey]], to house their inmates.<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Correal|first1=Annie|last2=Gold|first2=Michael|date=May 1, 2021|title=After Years of Protests, a New Jersey County Ends Its ICE Jail Contract|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/01/nyregion/essex-ice.html|access-date=October 31, 2021|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>