Editing Berkeley Heights, New Jersey (section)

==Government==

===Local government===
[[File:Berkeley Heights NJ Plainfield Avenue with sidewalk and houses.jpg|thumb|right|Plainfield Avenue]]
In accordance with a ballot question that was passed in November 2005, Berkeley Heights switched from a [[Township (New Jersey)|Township Committee]] form to a [[Faulkner Act (mayor–council–administrator)|Mayor-Council-Administrator]] form of government under the [[Faulkner Act]].<ref name=DataBook>''2011 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], June 2012, p. 95.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=15 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 15. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023. "The Mayor-Council-Administrator Form of municipal government was added to the Optional Municipal Charter Law in 1981. As of July 1, 2011 only three municipalities, the townships of Berkeley Heights, North Brunswick and West Milford, had adopted it."</ref> The township is one of three 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 switch took effect on January 1, 2007. In the elections in fall 2006, all seats were open. Under the new form of government, the mayor is directly elected to a four-year term. The Township Committee has been replaced with a Township Council comprised of six members elected to staggered, three-year terms. With all six Township Council seats open in 2006, two councilpersons were elected to one-year terms, after which those seats were open for three-year terms in 2007. Two other seats were open for two-year terms in 2006. The final two were open for three-year terms from the beginning. The responsibilities of the Township Administrator are unchanged.<ref>Levoy, Laurie. [http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20090515/NEWS/905150376/Five+battle+it+out+in+Berkeley+Heights+primaries "Five battle it out in Berkeley Heights primaries"], ''[[Courier News]]'', May 15, 2009. Accessed June 5, 2011. "The municipality changed its governance in January 2007 to a mayor-council-administrator form after residents voted for the change in the November 2006 election."</ref>

{{As of|2025}}, the Mayor of Berkeley Heights is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Angie D. Devanney, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2026.<ref name="Mayor">[https://www.berkeleyheights.gov/200/Mayor Mayor], Berkeley Heights Township. Accessed January 9, 2025.</ref> Members of the Township Council are Council President John Foster ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]], 2027), Council Vice President Susan Poage (D, 2025), Manuel Couto (R, 2025), Margaret Illis (D, 2026), Bill Machado (D, 2026) and Andrew Moran (D, 2027).<ref>[https://www.berkeleyheights.gov/255/Council Township Council], Berkeley Heights Township. Accessed January 9, 2025. "The Township of Berkeley Heights is governed by the Mayor / Council / Administrator form of local government. Term Overview: As a variant of the Faulkner Act, the Mayor is directly elected by the voters and serves a term of four years. Council members are elected to serve three year terms. Council terms are staggered so that two Council seats are up for election each year."</ref><ref>[https://berkeleyheights.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9177/2024-Adopted-Budget- 2024 Municipal Budget], Berkeley Heights Township. Accessed January 9, 2025.</ref><ref name=UnionOfficials>[http://www.unioncountyvotes.com/elected-officials/ ''Union County Elected Officials''], [[Union County, New Jersey]] Clerk. Accessed January 9, 2025.</ref><ref name=Union2024>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Union/122834/web.345435/#/summary General Election November 5, 2024 Official Results], [[Union County, New Jersey]], updated November 22, 2024. Accessed January 9, 2025.</ref><ref name=Union2023>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Union/119032/web.317647/#/summary General Election November 7, 2023 Official Results], [[Union County, New Jersey]], updated November 22, 2023. Accessed January 3, 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>

The Council President serves as Acting Mayor in the Mayor's absence; the Council Vice President serves as Acting Mayor in the absence of both the Mayor and the Council President.

The Berkeley Heights Municipal Complex, located at 29 Park Avenue, was completed in December 2020.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Rybolt |first1=Barbara |title=Berkeley Heights Declares Epic in Default for Failure to Perform |url=https://www.tapinto.net/towns/berkeley-heights/sections/law-and-justice/articles/berkeley-heights-declares-epic-in-default-for-failure-to-perform |website=TAPinto Berkeley Heights |access-date=January 3, 2024 |date=February 10, 2022 |quote=Although our employees officially moved into the building in December 2020, the work inside and outside has been ongoing.}}</ref>

===Federal, state and county representation===
Berkeley Heights is located in the 7th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2012-congressional-districts/njcd-2011-plan-components-county-mcd.pdf Plan Components Report], [[New Jersey Redistricting Commission]], December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 21st state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2011-legislative-districts/towns-districts.pdf Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District], [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>[https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5bae63366fd2b2e5b9f87e5e/5d30f0a94a82c66427e564d2_2019_CitizensGuide.pdf ''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''], New Jersey [[League of Women Voters]]. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp#21 Districts by Number for 2011-2020], [[New Jersey Legislature]]. Accessed January 6, 2013.</ref>

{{NJ Congress 07}} {{NJ Senate}}

{{NJ Legislative 21}}

{{NJ Union County Commissioners}}

=== Politics ===
As of May 18, 2017, there were a total of 9,558 registered voters in Berkeley Heights Township, of which 2,387 (25.0% vs. 45.2% countywide) were registered as [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], 3,368 (35.2% vs. 14.9%) were registered as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and 3,780 (39.5% vs. 39.4%) were registered as [[Unaffiliated (New Jersey)|Unaffiliated]]. There were 23 voters registered as [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarians]] or [[Green Party (United States)|Greens]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.unioncountyvotes.com/voter-registration-data/|title = Voter Registration Data|date = July 27, 2016}}</ref> Among the township's 2010 Census population, 68.8% (vs. 53.3% in Union County) were registered to vote, including 94.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.6% countywide).<ref name=VoterRegistration>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2011-union-co-summary-report.pdf Voter Registration Summary - Union], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed May 4, 2013.</ref><ref>[https://www.census.gov GCT-P7: Selected Age Groups: 2010 - State -- County Subdivision; 2010 Census Summary File 1 for New Jersey], [[United States Census Bureau]]. Accessed May 4, 2013.</ref>
{{PresHead|place=Berkeley Heights|source=<ref>{{Cite web |title=NJ DOS - Division of Elections - Election Results Archive |url=https://nj.gov/state/elections/election-information-results.shtml |access-date=2025-01-11 |website=nj.gov}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|3,553|4,531|158|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|3,562|4,688|122|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|3,359|3,482|270|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|3,897|2,899|76|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|4,011|3,094|93|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|4,146|3,019|60|New Jersey}}
|}

In the [[2016 United States presidential election|2016 presidential election]], Democrat [[Hillary Clinton]] received 3,482 votes (48.23% vs. 65.94% countywide), ahead of Republican [[Donald Trump]] with 3,359 votes (46.53% vs. 30.47% countywide), and other candidates with 378 votes (5.1% vs 3.6% countywide) among the 7,325 ballots cast by the township's 9,775 voters, for a turnout of 74.9%<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Union/64712/183160/Web01/en/summary.html|title=Union County Official Results 11/08/2016|website=Clarity Elections}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nj.gov/state/elections/2016-results/2016-gen-elect-ballotscast-results-union.pdf|title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast|website=NJ.gov}}</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012|2012 presidential election]], Republican [[Mitt Romney]] received 3,897 votes (57.3% vs. 32.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat [[Barack Obama]] with 2,799 votes (41.1% vs. 66.0%) and other candidates with 76 votes (1.1% vs. 0.8%), among the 6,802 ballots cast by the township's 9,400 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.4% (vs. 68.8% in Union County).<ref>[http://njelections.org/2012-results/2012-presidential-union.pdf Presidential November 6, 2012 General Election Results – Union County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201192205/http://njelections.org/2012-results/2012-presidential-union.pdf |date=February 1, 2014 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, March 15, 2013. Accessed May 5, 2013.</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140201191259/http://njelections.org/2012-results/2012-ballotscast-union.pdf Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast November 6, 2012 General Election Results – Union County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, March 15, 2013. Accessed May 5, 2013.</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2008|2008 presidential election]], Republican [[John McCain]] received 4,011 votes (55.3% vs. 35.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 3,094 votes (42.7% vs. 63.1%) and other candidates with 93 votes (1.3% vs. 0.9%), among the 7,248 ballots cast by the township's 9,375 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.3% (vs. 74.7% in Union County).<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2008-gen-elect-presidential-results-union.pdf 2008 Presidential General Election Results: Union County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed May 4, 2013.</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2004|2004 presidential election]], Republican [[George W. Bush]] received 4,146 votes (57.1% vs. 40.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat [[John Kerry]] with 3,019 votes (41.6% vs. 58.3%) and other candidates with 60 votes (0.8% vs. 0.7%), among the 7,258 ballots cast by the township's 9,121 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.6% (vs. 72.3% in the whole county).<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2004-presidential_union_co_2004.pdf 2004 Presidential Election: Union County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed May 4, 2013.</ref>

In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2021|2021 gubernatorial election]], Republican [[Jack Ciattarelli]] received 2,688 votes (50.3% vs. 37.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat [[Phil Murphy]] with 2,625 votes (49.1% vs. 61.6%), and other candidates with 30 votes (0.6% vs. 0.8%), among the 5,405 ballots cast by the township's 10,415 registered voters, for a turnout of 51.9%.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2021/2021-general-election-results-governor-union.pdf |title=Governor - Union County |date=December 14, 2021 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 7, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2021/2021-official-general-result-ballotscast-union.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 2, 2021 - General Election Results - Union County|date=December 14, 2021 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 7, 2024}}</ref> In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2017|2017 gubernatorial election]], Republican [[Kim Guadagno]] received 2,173 votes (49.4% vs. 32.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat Phil Murphy with 2,076 votes (47.1% vs. 65.2%), and other candidates with 154 votes (3.5% vs. 2.1%), among the 4,522 ballots cast by the township's 9,678 registered voters, for a turnout of 46.7%.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2017/2017-general-election-results-governor-union.pdf |title=Governor - Union County |date=December 21, 2017 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=November 23, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2017/2017-gen-elect-ballotscast-results-union.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 7, 2017 - General Election Results - Union County|date=December 21, 2017 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=November 23, 2024}}</ref> In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2013|2013 gubernatorial election]], Republican [[Chris Christie]] received 72.2% of the vote (3,145 cast), ahead of Democrat [[Barbara Buono]] with 26.4% (1,150 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (63 votes), among the 4,457 ballots cast by the township's 9,193 registered voters (99 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 48.5%.<ref name=2013Elections>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-union.pdf |title=Governor - Union County |date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-ballotscast-union.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 5, 2013 - General Election Results - Union County|date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref> In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009|2009 gubernatorial election]], Republican Chris Christie received 3,136 votes (60.0% vs. 41.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat [[Jon Corzine]] with 1,589 votes (30.4% vs. 50.6%), Independent [[Chris Daggett]] with 409 votes (7.8% vs. 5.9%) and other candidates with 32 votes (0.6% vs. 0.8%), among the 5,223 ballots cast by the township's 9,201 registered voters, yielding a 56.8% turnout (vs. 46.5% in the county).<ref>[http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-union.pdf 2009 Governor: Union County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017230050/http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-union.pdf |date=2012-10-17 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed May 4, 2013.</ref>