Editing Newton, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
[[File:Newton NJ Municipal Building Trinity Street.jpg|thumb|right|Newton's municipal building, located on Trinity Street, houses the town's offices, municipal court, and police department.]]
Newton operates under the [[Faulkner Act (council–manager)|Council-Manager]] form of municipal government (Plan B), in accordance with the [[Faulkner Act]], formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, as one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) in the state to use this form.<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> This form of government was implemented based on the recommendations of a [[Charter Study Commission]] as of July 1, 1978.<ref>[http://www.dudley-2010.com/Faulkner%20Act%2046pages.pdf "The Faulkner Act: New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law"], [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], July 2007. Accessed October 25, 2013.</ref> The town's governing board is comprised of a five-member Town Council, whose members are chosen [[at-large]] in [[non-partisan democracy|non-partisan]] elections to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats coming up for election in November of even-numbered years in alternating fashion.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 110.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=12 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 12. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The council selects a mayor and deputy mayor from among its members to serve one-year terms of office, at a reorganization meeting held annually in January.<ref name=Manager/>

After voters passed a referendum in 2018, the town's municipal elections were shifted from May to November.<ref>Biryukov, Nikita. [https://newjerseymonitor.com/2021/08/11/another-town-poised-to-join-others-moving-local-elections-to-november/ "Another town poised to join others moving local elections to November; Nonpartisan spring races dwindle as towns seek to boost turnout, cut election costs"], New Jersey Monitor, August 11, 2021. Accessed August 2, 2022. "When a 2011 law went into effect allowing certain New Jersey towns to move their May local elections to November, 86 municipalities held their nonpartisan races in the spring. That number has fallen to just 41, and the outlook for May races has improved little in recent years. Jersey City voters moved their elections to November after a 2016 vote, Newton voters followed suit in 2018, and Ridgewood voters did the same last year."</ref>

{{As of|2024}}, members of the Town Council are [[Mayor]] John-Paul E. Couce (term on council and as mayor ends December 31, 2024), Deputy Mayor Helen R. Le Frois (term on council ends 2026; term as deputy mayor ends 2024), Matthew S. Dickson (2026), Sandra Lee Diglio (2026) and Michelle J. Teets (2024).<ref name=TownHall>[https://www.newtontownhall.com/index.aspx?nid=103 Town Council], Town of Newton. Accessed May 24, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://www.newtontownhall.com/DocumentCenter/View/4558/2024-Adopted-Budget?bidId= 2024 Municipal Data Sheet], Town of Newton. Accessed May 24, 2024.</ref><ref name=Sussex2022>[https://sussexcountyclerk.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/NOV-8-2022-GE-Official-County-Summary.pdf Sussex County, New Jersey General Election November 8, 2022, Official Results Summary Report], [[Sussex County, New Jersey]], dated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Sussex2020>[https://sussexcountyclerk.org/docs/elections/2020/General/Official/Amended-SUMMARY.html Election Summary November 3, 2020 General Election Official Amended Results], [[Sussex County, New Jersey]], updated December 10, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref>