Editing Monmouth County, New Jersey (section)

===County government===
[[File:MonmouthCountyCourtHouse.jpg|thumb|[[Monmouth County Courthouse]] in [[Freehold Borough, New Jersey|Freehold Borough]], the [[county seat]]]]
Monmouth County is governed by a five-member [[Board of County Commissioners (New Jersey)|Board of County Commissioners]], who are elected at-large for three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year. Each January, the commissioners select one of their members to serve as the director of the board for the year to preside over the meetings and activities of the board. Monmouth County's Commissioners have both administrative and policy-making powers. The commissioners oversee the five mandatory functions of the county government delegated to it by the state. Each commissioner is assigned responsibility for one of the five functional areas: Administration and Special Services; Public Works and Engineering; Human Services, Health and Transportation; Finance and Administration of Justice, overseeing more than 70 county departments in total.<ref name=Commissioners>[https://www.visitmonmouth.com/Page.aspx?Id=3201 Board of County Commissioners], Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed July 7, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.visitmonmouth.com/page.aspx?ID=844 History of Monmouth County Government], Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed July 7, 2022.</ref> In 2016, freeholders were paid $27,000 and the freeholder director was paid an annual salary of $27,900.<ref>Gallo Jr., Bill. [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/how_much_your_county_freeholders_others_in_nj_earn.html "Which N.J. county freeholders are paid the most?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026113548/http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/03/how_much_your_county_freeholders_others_in_nj_earn.html |date=October 26, 2017 }}, [[NJ.com]], March 11, 2016. Accessed October 25, 2017. "Freeholder director: $27,900; Other freeholders: $27,000"</ref> County Administrator Teri O'Connor, an appointed position, serves as the county's chief executive officer, and is responsible for carrying out the policies and directives established by the Board of County Commissioners and managing the daily operations of the county's more than 3,000 employees.<ref>[https://www.visitmonmouth.com/page.aspx?ID=3653 County Administrator Teri O'Connor], Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed May 19, 2021.</ref>

{{As of|2025}}, Monmouth County's Commissioners are (with terms for Chair and Vice-Chair ending every December 31):<ref>[https://www.visitmonmouth.com/page.aspx?Id=3201 Board of County Commissioners], Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed July 19, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.co.monmouth.nj.us/documents/3/CountyofMonmouth2022IntroducedandApprovedBudget382022.pdf 2022 County Data Sheet], Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed July 19, 2022.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2021>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/111499/web.278093/#/summary November 2, 2021 General Election Official Results], Monmouth County, New Jersey, December 13, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2020>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/107171/web.264614/#/summary November 3, 2020 General Election Official Results], Monmouth County, New Jersey, updated November 3, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2019>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/98884/web/#/summary General Election November 5, 2019 Official Results], Monmouth County, New Jersey Clerk, updated December 16, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Commissioner 
! Party, Residence, Term 
|-
| Director Thomas A. Arnone 
| [[Republican Party (United States)|R]], [[Neptune City, New Jersey|Neptune City]], 2025<ref>[https://www.co.monmouth.nj.us/page.aspx?ID=3835 County Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone], Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed July 19, 2022.</ref> 
|-
| Deputy Director Ross F. Licitra 
| R, [[Marlboro Township, New Jersey|Marlboro Township]], 2026<ref>[https://www.co.monmouth.nj.us/page.aspx?ID=4834 Commissioner Ross F. Licitra], Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed July 19, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Erik Anderson 
| R, [[Shrewsbury, New Jersey|Shrewsbury]], 2026<ref>[https://co.monmouth.nj.us/page.aspx?ID=3211 County Commissioner Lillian G. Burry], Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed July 19, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Nick DiRocco 
| R, [[Wall Township, New Jersey|Wall Township]], 2025<ref>[https://co.monmouth.nj.us/page.aspx?ID=4966 County Commissioner Nick DiRocco], Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed July 19, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Susan M. Kiley 
| R, [[Hazlet Township, New Jersey|Hazlet Township]], 2027<ref>[https://www.co.monmouth.nj.us/page.aspx?ID=4876 County Commissioner Deputy Director Susan M. Kiley], Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed July 19, 2022.</ref>
|}

The Republican Party had held all five Commissioner seats until 2006, but after the 2006 and 2008 elections, Democrats controlled the Board by a 3–2 margin. The Board swung back in favor of the Republicans after the 2009 election when Republican John Curley beat Democrat Sean Byrnes. Both were running to succeed former Commissioner Director Barbara McMorrow, a Democrat, who had chosen not to seek re-election. In 2010, former mayor of Neptune City, NJ, Thomas Arnone (R), and incumbent Commissioner Robert Clifton (R) won seats giving Republicans control of the Board of County Commissioners by a 4–1 margin. The board has been all Republican since 2011.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2010-monmouth-co-election-results.pdf 2010 General Election Winners of County Offices Monmouth County] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628183358/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2010-monmouth-co-election-results.pdf |date=June 28, 2011 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, February 22, 2011. Accessed October 1, 2013.</ref>

Pursuant to Article VII Section II of the [[New Jersey State Constitution]], each county in New Jersey is required to have three elected administrative officials known as "constitutional officers." These officers are the [[County Clerk]] and [[Probate Court|County Surrogate]] (both elected for five-year terms of office) and the [[Sheriff|County Sheriff]] (elected for a three-year term).<ref name=contitution>[http://www.nj.gov/state/archives/docconst47.html#page16 New Jersey State Constitution (1947), Article VII, Section II, Paragraph 2] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141101123505/http://www.nj.gov/state/archives/docconst47.html |date=November 1, 2014 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Accessed October 26, 2017.</ref>  Monmouth county's constitutional officers are:

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Office 
! Party, Residence, Term 
|-
| Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon 
| R, [[Ocean Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey|Ocean Township]], 2025<ref>[https://www.monmouthcountyclerk.com/about/the-monmouth-county-clerk/ The Monmouth County Clerk], Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed July 19, 2022.</ref><ref>[http://coanj.com/member-list/clerks Members List:Clerks], Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed July 19, 2022.</ref> 
|-
| Sheriff Shaun Golden 
| R, [[Howell Township, New Jersey|Howell Township]], 2025<ref>[https://www.mcsonj.org/about-us/about-the-sheriff/ About Sheriff Shaun Golden], Monmouth County Sheriff's Office. Accessed July 19, 2022.</ref><ref>[http://coanj.com/member-list/sheriffs/ Members List: Sheriffs], Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed July 19, 2022.</ref>
|-
| Surrogate Rosemarie D. Peters 
| R, [[Middletown Township, New Jersey|Middletown Township]], 2026<ref>[https://co.monmouth.nj.us/page.aspx?ID=3022 About the Surrogate], Monmouth County New Jersey. Accessed July 19, 2022.</ref><ref>[http://coanj.com/member-list/surrogates/ Members List: Surrogates], Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed July 19, 2022.</ref>
|}

Raymond Santiago of Freehold Township is the Monmouth County Prosecutor, having been formally nominated to the position by [[Governor of New Jersey]] [[Phil Murphy]] in September 2022.<ref>[https://www.nj.gov/governor/news/news/562022/20220922c.shtml "Governor Murphy Nominates Raymond Santiago as Monmouth County Prosecutor"], [[Governor of New Jersey]] [[Phil Murphy]], September 22, 2022. Accessed March 9, 2025. "Governor Phil Murphy today nominated Raymond Santiago to serve as Monmouth County Prosecutor. Santiago’s nomination will be submitted to the Senate for confirmation, and he will assume the role of Acting Prosecutor on Friday, October 7.... Santiago resides in Freehold, and has lived and worked in Monmouth County for over 20 years."</ref> Monmouth County constitutes Vicinage 9 of the [[New Jersey Superior Court]] and is seated at the Monmouth County Courthouse in [[Freehold Borough, New Jersey|Freehold Borough]], with additional facilities in Freehold and [[Ocean Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey|Ocean Township]]; the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 9 is Lisa P. Thornton.<ref>[https://www.njcourts.gov/public/judgecontacts.html?Vicinage=Monmouth Judges Contact Directory for Monmouth Vicinage], New Jersey Courts. Accessed May 19, 2021.</ref>