Editing Chatham Borough, New Jersey (section)

==Government==
[[File:Chatham Boro Municipal jeh.JPG|thumb|Chatham municipal government building]]
[[File:Chatham Fire Dept jeh.jpg|thumb|Chatham Firehouse Plaza]]
From 1614, the area was governed by the Dutch as part of [[New Netherland]]. In 1664, it came under governance by the British within the [[Province of New Jersey]], during which a permanent European settlement was established in 1710 that changed its name to Chatham in 1773.

Chatham has adopted different forms of local government throughout its existence. Under British colonial rule, a village form of government was adopted. After the [[American Revolutionary War]], the community became part of Chatham Township, which was founded by new state of New Jersey in 1806 as it was beginning to determine governmental forms. That township also included several other settlements and a great deal of unsettled lands. Unhappy with that governance, Chatham seceded from the township in 1892 and returned to a village government. When the borough form of government was offered by the state, Chatham adopted that form of government by a reincorporation in 1897, and that governmental form has been used ever since.<ref name=Story/>

===Local government===
{{Further|Mayor of Chatham Borough, New Jersey}}
Having adopted several different forms of government since its settlement in 1710, Chatham adopted the newly allowed [[Borough (New Jersey)|borough]] form of New Jersey municipal government during a reincorporation in 1897. The borough form of government is now used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.<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 borough council, with all positions elected [[at-large]] on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 121.</ref> The borough form of government used by Chatham is a "[[weak mayor]] / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can [[veto]] ordinances subject to an [[veto override|override]] by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.<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><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=6 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 6. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref>

{{As of|2025}}, the [[Mayor]] is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Carolyn Dempsey, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the borough council are Council President Jocelyn Mathiasen (D, 2027), Brian Hargrove (D, 2026), Katherine Hay (D, 2027), Karen Koronkiewicz (D, 2025), Justin Strickland (D, 2026) and Irene Treloar (D, 2025).<ref name=MayorCouncil>[https://www.chathamborough.org/government/mayor Mayor & Council], Borough of Chatham, Accessed May 5, 2024.</ref>

===Federal, state, and county representation===
The borough is located in the 11th 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 the 21st state legislative district of New Jersey.<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 11}} {{NJ Senate}}

{{NJ Legislative 21}}

{{NJ Morris County Commissioners}}

===Politics===
{{PresHead|place=Chatham Borough|source=<br>2024<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2024/2024-official-general-results-president-morris.pdf Presidential November 5, 2024 General Election Results Morris County], [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref> 2020<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2020/2020-official-general-results-president-morris.pdf Presidential November 3, 2020 General Election Results Morris County], [[New Jersey Department of State]], updated December 18, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref> 2016<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2016/2016-gen-elect-presidential-results-morris.pdf Presidential November 8, 2016 General Election Results Morris County], [[New Jersey Department of State]], updated December 14, 2016. Accessed January 1, 2015.</ref> 2012<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2012/2012-presidential-morris.pdf Presidential November 6, 2012 General Election Results Morris County], [[New Jersey Department of State]], updated March 15, 2013. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref> 2008<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2008/2008-gen-elect-presidential-results-morris.pdf Presidential General Election Results Morris County for 2008], [[New Jersey Department of State]], updated December 23, 2008. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref> 2004<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2004/2004-presidential_morris_co_2004.pdf 2004 Presidential Election Morris County Official Results], [[New Jersey Department of State]], updated December 13, 2004. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|2,018|3,353|104|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|1,929|3,565|92|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|1,806|2,707|201|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|2,501|2,045|33|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|2,413|2,325|44|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|2,678|1,995|28|New Jersey}}
|}

As of March 2011, there were a total of 5,750 registered voters in the borough, of which 1,368 (23.8%) were registered as [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], 1,928 (33.5%) were registered as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and 2,452 (42.6%) were registered as [[Unaffiliated (New Jersey)|Unaffiliated]]. There were two voters registered as either [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]] or [[Green Party (United States)|Green]].<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2011-morris-co-summary-report.pdf Voter Registration Summary - Morris], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 17, 2012.</ref>

In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012|2012 presidential election]], Republican [[Mitt Romney]] received 54.6% of the vote (2,501 cast), ahead of Democrat [[Barack Obama]] with 44.7% (2,045 votes), and other candidates with 0.7% (33 votes), among the 4,600 ballots cast by the borough's 6,131 registered voters (21 ballots were [[Spoilt vote|spoiled]]), for a turnout of 75.0%.<ref name=2012Elections>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-presidential-morris.pdf |title=Presidential General Election Results - November 6, 2012 - Morris County |date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-ballotscast-morris.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 6, 2012 - General Election Results - Morris County|date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2008|2008 presidential election]], Republican [[John McCain]] received 50.2% of the vote (2,413 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 48.4% (2,325 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (44 votes), among the 4,807 ballots cast by the borough's 5,975 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.5%.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2008-gen-elect-presidential-results-morris.pdf 2008 Presidential General Election Results: Morris County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed December 17, 2012.</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2004|2004 presidential election]], Republican [[George W. Bush]] received 56.7% of the vote (2,678 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat [[John Kerry]] with 42.3% (1,995 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (28 votes), among the 4,721 ballots cast by the borough's 6,084 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 77.6.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2004-presidential_morris_co_2004.pdf 2004 Presidential Election: Morris County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed December 17, 2012.</ref>

In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2013|2013 gubernatorial election]], Republican [[Chris Christie]] received 71.1% of the vote (1,770 cast), ahead of Democrat [[Barbara Buono]] with 27.2% (678 votes), and other candidates with 1.6% (41 votes), among the 2,530 ballots cast by the borough's 6,046 registered voters (41 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 41.8%.<ref name=2013Elections>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-morris.pdf |title=Governor - Morris 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-morris.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 5, 2013 - General Election Results - Morris 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 56.6% of the vote (1,892 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat [[Jon Corzine]] with 32.7% (1,092 votes), Independent [[Chris Daggett]] with 9.7% (325 votes) and other candidates with 0.4% (14 votes), among the 3,344 ballots cast by the borough's 5,831 registered voters, yielding a 57.3% turnout.<ref>[http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-morris.pdf 2009 Governor: Morris County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017231210/http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-morris.pdf |date=October 17, 2012 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed December 17, 2012.</ref>

===Shared services===
{{Main|The Chathams - Shared services}}
The borough shares various [[shared services|joint public services]] with Chatham Township: the recreation program, the library (since 1974), the school district (created in 1986), and medical emergency squad (since 1936).

Along with Chatham Township, Harding Township, and Madison, the borough became a member of a joint municipal court that was created in 2010.<ref>[http://www.chathamtownship-nj.gov/departments/court Joint Municipal Court], Township of Chatham. Accessed November 21, 2016. "The Joint Municipal Court serves five towns: Borough of Madison, Borough of Chatham, Township of Chatham, Township of Harding, and the Township of Morris."</ref><ref>[http://www.rosenet.org/247/Joint-Municipal-Court Joint Municipal Court], Borough of Madison. Accessed November 21, 2016. The Joint Municipal Court serves 5 towns: Borough of Madison, Borough of Chatham, Township of Chatham, Township of Harding, and the Township of Morris."</ref> The court is located in Madison.