Editing Alpine, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Alpine is governed under the [[Borough (New Jersey)|borough]] form of New Jersey municipal government, which is 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 a mayor and a 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. 165.</ref>

The borough form of government used by Alpine 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 November 29, 2022.</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|2024}}, the mayor of Alpine is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Paul H. Tomasko, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Alpine Borough Council are Council President Gayle Gerstein (D, 2025), Scott Bosworth (D, 2025), Steven Cohen (D, 2024), Arthur I. Frankel (D, 2026), Vicki Frankel (D, 2024) and David Kupferschmid (D, 2026).<ref name=MayorCouncil>[http://www.alpinenj07620.org/id5.html Mayor & Council], Borough of Alpine. Accessed April 21, 2024.</ref><ref>[http://www.alpinenj07620.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/2024UFB.pdf 2024 Municipal User Friendly Budget], Borough of Alpine. Accessed April 21, 2024.</ref><ref name=BergenCountyDirectory>[https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/images/About_Bergen_County/2024-county-directory.pdf#page=34 ''2024 County and Municipal Directory''], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], April 2024. Accessed April 15, 2024.</ref><ref name=Bergen2023>[https://www.bergencountyclerk.gov/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/District%20Canvass%20NEW.pdf Official Statement of Vote 2023 General Election - November 7, 2023 Official Results], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], November 27, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Bergen2022>[https://www.bergencountyclerk.org/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/Certified%20Statement%20of%20Vote%20Book%2011-21-22.pdf Bergen County November 8, 2022 General Election Statement of Vote], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Bergen2021>[https://www.bergencountyclerk.org/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/Statement%20of%20Vote%2011-17-21(1).pdf Bergen County Statement of Vote November 2, 2021 Official results], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], updated November 17, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref>

In August 2022, David Kupferschmid was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held by Laurence A. Shadek until he resigned from office the previous month.<ref>[http://www.alpinenj07620.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/mcminutes08_24_2022.pdf Mayor and Council Regular Meeting Minutes for August 24, 2022], Borough of Alpine. Accessed March 12, 2023.</ref>

In February 2021 the borough council appointed Scott Bosworth from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the council seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by John Halbreich until he resigned from office earlier that month.<ref>[http://www.alpinenj07620.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/MCminutes_February2021.pdf Borough Council Regular Meeting Minutes for February 24, 2021], Borough of Alpine. Accessed May 3, 2022. "WHEREAS, John Halbreich was elected to the Alpine Borough Council serving as Council Person with a term expiring on December 31, 2022; and... WHEREAS, Councilman John Halbreich, to our regret has submitted a letter of resignation effective February 1, 2021 thereto creating a vacancy on Council... NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that Scott Bosworth be and hereby is appointed to fill the vacancy of the seat previously held by John Halbreich which term expires December 31, 2022"</ref> Bosworth served on an interim basis until the November 2021 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref name=Bergen2021/>

Joan Ornstein was appointed by the borough council in February 2012 to fill the vacant seat of her husband Steve, who had died the previous month after being sworn in for a three-year term of office.<ref>Staff. [https://web.archive.org/web/20150202221055/http://record-bergen.vlex.com/vid/alpine-fills-council-vacancy-370177522 "Alpine Fills Council Vacancy"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', February 28, 2012, backed up by the [[Internet Archive]] as of February 2, 2015. Accessed September 5, 2017. "Joan Ornstein, the widow of Alpine Councilman Steven Ornstein, will fill his council seat for the remainder of the year, local officials said. The 73-year-old councilman was sworn to a new term on Jan. 1 and died Jan. 28 after a six-year battle with colon cancer."</ref>

In 2018, the borough had an average property tax bill of $21,299, the highest in the county, compared to an average bill of $8,767 statewide.<ref>Marcus, Samantha. [https://www.nj.com/politics/2019/04/these-are-the-towns-with-the-highest-property-taxes-in-each-of-njs-21-counties.html "These are the towns with the highest property taxes in each of N.J.’s 21 counties"], NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], April 22, 2019. Accessed November 5, 2019. "The average property tax bill in New Jersey was $8,767 last year. But there can be big swings from town to town and county to county.... The average property tax bill in Alpine Borough was $21,299 in 2018, the highest in Bergen County."</ref>