Editing Long Branch, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
{{see also|Mayor of Long Branch, New Jersey}}
Long Branch is governed under the Mayor-Council (Plan A) form of municipal government under the [[Faulkner Act]], enacted by direct petition as of July 1, 1966.<ref>[https://www.scribd.com/document/181079071/Faulkner-Act-46pages-pdf "The Faulkner Act: New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law"], [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], July 2007. Accessed February 12, 2025.</ref> The city is one of 71 of New Jersey's 564 municipalities 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 five-member City Council, whose members are elected [[at-large]] on a [[Non-partisan democracy|non-partisan]] basis in the May municipal elections to serve concurrent four-year terms of office.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 58.</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"], p. 10. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref><ref>Cerra, Michael F. [https://www.njlm.org/809/3982/Forms-of-Govt-Magazine-Article "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask"], [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], March 2007. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref>

{{As of|2025}}, the [[Mayor of Long Branch, New Jersey|Mayor of Long Branch]] is John Pallone. Members of the City Council are Bill Dangler, Glen Rassas, Mario Vieria, Anita Voogt and Rose Widdis. The mayor and city council members serve concurrent terms of office ending on June 30, 2026.<ref name=MayorCouncil>[https://www.longbranch.org/344/Mayor-City-Council Mayor / City Council], City of Long Branch. Accessed January 29, 2025.</ref><ref>[https://www.longbranch.org/DocumentCenter/View/3288/2024-Budget 2024 Municipal Data Sheet], City of Long Branch. January 29, 2025.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2022Municipal>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/113836/web.285569/#/summary May 10, 2022 Municipal Elections - Keansburg & Long Branch Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated May 31, 2022. Accessed March 26, 2023.</ref>

In February 1966, a nearly 3-1 margin of voters supported a proposal promoted by the Better Government League, which abolished the city's [[Council–manager government|council-manager]] [[Ward (electoral subdivision)|ward-based]] system that had six members from wards and three at-large and replaced it with a wholly at-large city council with a [[mayor–council government|mayor-council]] system under the [[Faulkner Act]] and an appointed business administrator.<ref>Miller, Vincent J. [https://www.newspapers.com/article/asbury-park-press/5004440/  "Council-Manager Rule Ousted in Long Branch"], ''[[Asbury Park Press]]'', February 24, 1966. Accessed February 12, 2025, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "Voters decided yesterday by a 3-to-l margin to switch from a council-manager to mayor-council government.... The present government consists of a city manager and nine-member Council, with three members serving at large and one representing each of six wards. The new form will eliminate the ward system, substitute a Business administrator for the manager and give more power to the mayor. He will have a veto power over the Council and can pick department heads with its advice and consent.... The new plan, although still under the Faulkner Act, will eliminate-runoff elections."</ref>