Editing Woodbridge Township, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Woodbridge is governed within the [[Faulkner Act]], formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter law, under the [[Faulkner Act (mayor–council)|Mayor-Council]] system of municipal government. The township 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''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601184216/https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/inventory_of_municipal_forms_of_government_in_new_jersey.pdf |date=June 1, 2023 }}, [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body is comprised of a directly elected mayor and a nine-member Township Council, with all officials elected to staggered four-year terms of office on a partisan basis as part of the November general election in odd-numbered years. The council includes four members elected [[at-large]] and five members elected from each of the township's five [[Ward (United States)|wards]]. The at-large and mayoral seats come up together for vote followed two years later by the five ward seats.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 87.</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"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604040836/https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=10 |date=June 4, 2023 }}, p. 10. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref>

{{As of|2024}}, the [[Mayor]] of Woodbridge Township is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[John McCormac]], whose term of office ends December 31, 2023.<ref name=Mayor>[https://www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us/342/Mayor-John-E-McCormac Mayor John E. McCormac], Woodbridge Township. Accessed May 28, 2024.</ref> McCormac was first elected on November 7, 2006, and sworn in on November 14, 2006.<ref>[http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061114/NEWS/611140346/1001 McCormac now heads Woodbridge] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212043808/http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20061114%2FNEWS%2F611140346%2F1001 |date=February 12, 2008 }}, ''[[Home News Tribune]]'', November 14, 2006.</ref> McCormac replaced Frank G. Pelzman, who became mayor on January 17, 2002, when former mayor James E. McGreevey resigned to become governor.<ref>[http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060630/NEWS/606300473/1001 Township Dems to tap successor] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070311044143/http://www.thnt.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060630/NEWS/606300473/1001 |date=March 11, 2007 }}, ''[[Home News Tribune]]'', June 30, 2006.</ref> Members of the Township Council are Council President Kyle M. Anderson (D, 2027; at-large), Council Vice President Cory S. Spillar (D, 2025; Third Ward), Harold R. "Howie" Bauer Jr. (D, 2025; Second Ward), Lizbeth DeJesus (D, 2027; at-large), Gregg M. Ficarra (D, 2027; at-large), Sharon McAuliffe (D, 2025; First Ward - elected to serve an unexpired term), Debbie Meehan (D, 2025; Fifth Ward), Virbhadra N. "Viru" Patel (D, 2025; Fourth Ward) and Brian F. Small (D, 2027; at-large).<ref>[https://www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us/340/Council Council], Woodbridge Township. Accessed May 28, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://www.twp.woodbridge.nj.us/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/356 2024 Municipal Data Sheet], Woodbridge Township. Accessed May 28, 2024.</ref><ref name=Middlesex2023>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Middlesex/119048/web.317647/#/summary November 7, 2023 General Election Official Results], [[Middlesex County, New Jersey]], December 7, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Middlesex2022>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Middlesex/116148/web.307039/#/summary November 8, 2022 General Election Official Results], [[Middlesex County, New Jersey]], updated November 22, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Middlesex2021>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Middlesex/110780/web.278093/#/summary General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104080323/https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Middlesex/110780/web.278093/#/summary |date=January 4, 2022 }}, [[Middlesex County, New Jersey]], updated November 19, 2021. Accessed April 13, 2022.</ref>

In January 2022, the Township Council selected Sharon McAuliffe from a list of three candidates submitted by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the First Ward seat expiring in December 2025 that had been held by Nancy Bader-Drumm for a decade until her death earlier that month. McAuliffe served on an interim basis until the November 2022 general election, when she was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref>Chang, Kathy. [https://centraljersey.com/2022/01/25/local-business-owner-fills-ward-1-council-seat-in-woodbridge/ "Local business owner fills Ward 1 council seat in Woodbridge"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220517210815/https://centraljersey.com/2022/01/25/local-business-owner-fills-ward-1-council-seat-in-woodbridge/ |date=May 17, 2022 }}, ''E/M Sentinel'', January 25, 2022. Accessed April 29, 2022. "The Township Council appointed Sharon McAuliffe, a local business owner, to fill the Ward 1 council seat left vacant after the sudden passing of Ward 1 Councilwoman Nancy Bader-Drumm on Jan. 2. The Woodbridge Democratic Organization submitted three nominees for the council to select from. The other nominees included Jay Barcellona and Robert Minkler, according to Woodbridge Township Clerk John Mitch."</ref><ref name=Middlesex2022/>

In August 2015, the Township Council selected Cory Spillar from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the Third Ward seat that had been held by Council President Michele Charmello until her resignation the previous month to take a position in [[Pittsburgh]]. The council chose new leadership, promoting Nancy Drumm from vice president to president (to replace Charmello) and Rick Dalina as vice president.<ref>Russell, Suzanne. [http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2015/08/07/woodbridge-welcomes-new-council-member/31305183/ "Woodbridge welcomes new Council member"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212052117/https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2015/08/07/woodbridge-welcomes-new-council-member/31305183/ |date=February 12, 2020 }}, ''[[Courier News]]'', August 7, 2015. Accessed October 9, 2015. "Cory Spiller, an Avenel fire official, was sworn in this week as a member of the Woodbridge Township Council. Spiller replaces Councilwoman Michele Charmello, who represented the Third Ward sections of Avenel and Port Reading. Charmello, who served as Council president, resigned from the Council last month to take a job working with an educational nonprofit in Pittsburgh, according to township officials."</ref>