Editing Scotch Plains, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Scotch Plains is governed within the [[Faulkner Act]], formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the [[Faulkner Act (council–manager)|Council-Manager]] form of New Jersey municipal government. The township is one of 42 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 four-member Township Council. Council members are elected [[at-large]] in partisan elections to serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis in even-numbered years, with the Mayor and one of the council members elected in years divisible by four and the three other council seats coming up for election two years later. The Mayor and the Councilmembers are the only elected officials in the township government. The Mayor and Council then appoint a Township Manager, who serves as the chief executive officer of the Township, with the authority to appoint most subordinate personnel.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 98.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=12 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 12. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref><ref>[http://www.scotchplainsnj.gov/form-govt.html Form of Government], Township of Scotch Plains. Accessed August 26, 2013.</ref>

{{As of|2024}}, the mayor of Scotch Plains is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Joshua G. Losardo, whose term of office expires on December 31, 2024. Members of the Township Council are Deputy Mayor Ellen Zimmerman (D, 2024), Matthew S. Adams (D, 2026), Elizabeth Stamler (D, 2026), and Roshan "Roc" White (D, 2026).<ref name=MayorCouncil>[https://www.scotchplainsnj.gov/government/mayor-council/ Mayor and Council], Scotch Plains Township. Accessed April 27, 2024.</ref><ref name=UnionOfficials>[https://unioncountyvotes.com/elected-officials/ Elected Officials], [[Union County, New Jersey]]. Accessed April 27, 2024.</ref><ref name=Union2022>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Union/116135/web.303253/#/summary General Election November 8, 2022 Official Results], [[Union County, New Jersey]], updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 3, 2024.</ref><ref name=Union2020>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Union/107155/web.262169/#/summary General Election November 3, 2020 Official Results], [[Union County, New Jersey]], updated December 14, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref>

In January 2021, the Township Council chose Suman Dahiya-Shah from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the council seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Joshua Losardo until he stepped down to take office as mayor.<ref>Staff. [https://www.tapinto.net/towns/scotch-plains-slash-fanwood/sections/government/articles/newly-appointed-scotch-plains-councilwoman-suman-dahiya-shah-resigns-after-just-two-months-on-the-governing-body "Newly Appointed Scotch Plains Councilwoman Suman Dahiya-Shah Resigns After Just Two Months on the Governing Body"], TAP into Scotch Plains / Fanwood, March 21, 2021. Accesses April 11, 2022. "Scotch Plains Mayor Josh Losardo began the township council meeting on Tuesday, March 16, by announcing that Councilwoman Suman Dahiya-Shah, whom he appointed in January to fill his unexpired council term when he became mayor, has resigned. Losardo said that Councilwoman Dahiya-Shah said she submitted her resignation due to 'personal reasons' but did not elaborate further about why she resigned other than to say that she 'was unable to handle the responsibilities of the job.'"</ref> In April 2021, Matthew Adams was selected to fill Dahiya-Shah's seat, after she stepped down from office in March, citing "personal reasons".<ref>Staff. [https://www.tapinto.net/towns/scotch-plains-slash-fanwood/sections/government/articles/scotch-plains-welcomes-new-councilman-matt-adams "Scotch Plains Welcomes New Councilman Matt Adams"], TAP into Scotch Plains / Fanwood, April 26, 2021. Accessed April 11, 2022. "Following the recommendation of the Scotch Plains Democratic Committee, the Township Council welcomed Matthew S. Adams to fill the unexpired term on the Township Council that became vacant when Josh Losardo became mayor and his initial replacement pick Suman Dahiya-Shah resigned."</ref> Adams served on an interim basis until the November 2021 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref name=Union2021>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Union/111504/web.278093/#/summary General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results], [[Union County, New Jersey]], updated November 15, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref>

The Chief of Police is Jeffrey Briel. The Deputy Police Chief is Al Sellinger.<ref>[https://police.scotchplainsnj.gov/index.php/about-us/history Dept About Us page], Scotch Plains Police Department. Accessed June 11, 2023</ref>