Editing Union County, New Jersey (section)

===County government===
[[File:The Union County Courthouse prior to 1900.jpg|thumb|The Union County Courthouse prior to 1900]] [[File:File-UnionCoCourtHouse.JPG|thumb|[[Union County Courthouse (New Jersey)|Union County Courthouse]] in [[Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth]]]]
Union County is governed by a nine-member [[Board of County Commissioners]]. The members are elected [[at-large]] in partisan elections to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with three seats coming up for election each year. The board sets policies for the operation of the county. The Commissioners perform the county's legislative and executive functions. In their legislative role, they formulate and adopt a budget and set county policies and procedures. In their executive role, they oversee county spending and functioning. Many of the administrative duties are delegated by the Board of County Commissioners to the County Manager. Each of the commissioners serves on various committees and boards as a part of their duties. These include committees on Economic Development, Parks and Recreation, and Public Works and Policy. In addition, the board oversees the county's Open Space Trust Fund. Day-to-day operation of the county and its departments is supervised by an appointed County Manager, Edward Oatman.<ref>[http://ucnj.org/county-manager/ Office of the County Manager], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed October 21, 2018.</ref> In 2016, freeholders were paid $30,692, while the Freeholder vice chairman received $31,732 and the Freeholder chairman had an annual salary of $32,773.<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. "Commussioner chairman: $32,773; the vice chair: $31,732; Others: $30,692"</ref> The County Manager is Edward Oatman.<ref>[https://ucnj.org/county-manager/ County Manager], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref> No Republican has been elected to countywide office since 1995.

Union County is governed by a [[Board of County Commissioners (New Jersey)|Board of County Commissioners]], whose nine members are elected [[at-large]] to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis with three seats coming up for election each year, with an appointed County Manager overseeing the day-to-day operations of the county. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Chair and Vice Chair from among its members.<ref>[http://ucnj.org/ Home Page], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref> {{As of|2025}}, Union County's County Commissioners are (with terms for Chair and Vice-Chair ending every December 31):<ref name="Commissioners">[https://ucnj.org/commissioners/Commissioners], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed December 7, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://ucnj.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-Budget-Adoption-State-Format.pdf#page=4 2022 County Data Sheet], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Commissioner 
! Party, residence, term 
|-
| Chair Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded 
| D, [[Westfield, New Jersey|Westfield]], 2027<ref>[https://ucnj.org/commissioners/commissioner-kimberly-palmieri-mouded/ Commissioner Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Vice Chair Lourdes M. Leon 
| D, Elizabeth, 2026<ref>[https://ucnj.org/commissioners/commissioner-lourdes-m-leon/ Commissioner Lourdes M. Leon], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| James E. Baker Jr. 
| D, [[Rahway, New Jersey|Rahway]], 2027<ref>[https://ucnj.org/commissioners/commissioner-james-e-baker-jr/ Commissioner James E. Baker Jr.], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Joseph Bodek 
| D, [[Linden, New Jersey|Linden]], 2026<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wildstein |first=David |date=December 15, 2022 |title=Joe Bodek elected Union County Commissioner |url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/joe-bodek-elected-union-county-commissioner/ |access-date=December 15, 2022 |website=New Jersey Globe |language=en-US}}</ref>
|-
| Michele Delisfort
| D, [[Union Township, Union County, New Jersey|Union Township]], 2026<ref>[https://ucnj.org/commissioners/commissioner-angela-r-garretson/ Commissioner Dr. Angela R. Garretson], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Sergio Granados 
| D, [[Elizabeth, New Jersey|Elizabeth]], 2025<ref>[https://ucnj.org/commissioners/commissioner-sergio-granados/ Commissioner Sergio Granados], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Bette Jane Kowalski 
| D, [[Cranford, New Jersey|Cranford]], 2025<ref>[https://ucnj.org/commissioners/commissioner-bette-jane-kowalski/ Commissioner Bette Jane Kowalski], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref> 
|-
| Alexander Mirabella 
| D, [[Fanwood, New Jersey|Fanwood]], 2027<ref>[https://ucnj.org/commissioners/commissioner-alexander-mirabella/ Commissioner Alexander Mirabella], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Rebecca Williams 
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|D]], [[Plainfield, New Jersey|Plainfield]], 2025<ref>[https://ucnj.org/commissioners/chair-rebecca-williams/ Chair Rebecca Williams], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref> 
|}

Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Office 
! Party, residence, term 
|-
| County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi 
| D, [[Westfield, New Jersey|Westfield]], 2025<ref>[https://unioncountyvotes.com/about-the-county-clerk-joanne-rajoppi/ County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi], Union County Votes. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref><ref>[http://coanj.com/member-list/clerks/ Clerks], Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Sheriff Peter Corvelli 
| D, [[Kenilworth, New Jersey|Kenilworth]], 2026<ref>[https://ucnj.org/sheriff/about-the-sheriff/ Sheriff Peter Corvelli], Union County Sheriff's Office. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://coanj.com/member-list/sheriffs/ Sheriffs], Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed May 20, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Surrogate Christopher E. Hudak 
| D, [[Clark, New Jersey|Clark]], 2027<ref>[https://ucnj.org/surrogate/ Office of the Union County Surrogate], Union County, New Jersey. Accessed December 7, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://coanj.com/member-list/surrogates/ Surrogates], Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed December 7, 2022.</ref>
|}

Union County constitutes Vicinage 12 of the [[New Jersey Superior Court]] and is seated at the Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth, with additional facilities also located in Elizabeth; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 12 is Karen M. Cassidy.<ref>[https://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/courts/vicinages/union.html Union Vicinage], New Jersey Courts. Accessed October 23, 2017.</ref> Law enforcement at the county level includes the Union County Police Department, the Union County Sheriff's Office, and the Union County Prosecutor's Office. Union County's Acting Prosecutor is Michael A. Monahan.<ref>[http://ucnj.org/prosecutor/about-us/meet-the-acting-prosecutor-michael-a-monahan/ Meet the Acting Prosecutor Michael A. Monahan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928040516/http://ucnj.org/prosecutor/about-us/meet-the-acting-prosecutor-michael-a-monahan/ |date=September 28, 2018 }}, Office of the Union County Prosecutor. Accessed October 21, 2018. "Michael A. Monahan was sworn in as Acting Prosecutor of Union County on January 31, 2018."</ref>