Editing Cliffside Park, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Cliffside Park 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. 160.</ref> The borough form of government used by Cliffside Park 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. [http://www.njslom.org/magart0307_p14.html "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924045019/http://www.njslom.org/magart0307_p14.html |date=September 24, 2014 }}, [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]]. Accessed November 30, 2014.</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 Cliffside Park, New Jersey|Mayor of Cliffside Park]] is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Thomas Calabrese, who was elected to serve a term of office ending December 31, 2027. Members of the borough council are Council President John Chmielewski (D, 2024), Peter J. Colao (D, 2025), Kenneth J. Corcoran (D, 2025), Dana Martinotti (D, 2026), Selvie Nikaj (D, 2024) and Eurice Rojas (R, 2026).<ref name=Governing>[https://www.cliffsideparknj.gov/mayor_and_council/governing_body/index.php Governing Body], Borough of Cliffside Park. Accessed April 21, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://webgen1files.revize.com/boroughcspnj/Cliffside%20Park%202023%20Adopted%20Budget.pdf 2023 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Cliffside Park. Accessed April 21, 2024.</ref><ref name=BergenCountyDirectory>[https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/images/About_Bergen_County/2024-county-directory.pdf#page=36 ''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 October 2019, the borough council appointed John Chmielewski to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that had been held by Donna M. Spoto until she resigned from her seat the previous month after 31 years in office in order to move out of the borough.<ref>[http://www.cliffsideparknj.gov/mayor-and-council/governing-body/chmielewski/ Councilman John Chmielewski], Borough of Cliffside Park. Accessed March 24, 2020. "John was sworn in as a councilman in October to fill the unexpired term of Donna Spoto."</ref><ref>McDonald, Terrence T. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/cliffside-park/2019/09/13/cliffside-park-nj-councilwoman-steps-down-after-31-years-office/2311998001/ "Cliffside Park councilwoman steps down after 31 years in office"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', September 13, 2019. Accessed March 24, 2020. "Donna Spoto, who may be the longest-serving councilwoman in Bergen County, stepped down from the Borough Council this week to move to Florida with her husband. Spoto, 58, a retired teacher and county worker, submitted her resignation on Tuesday. First appointed to the six-member council in 1988, she was in the middle of her 10th term in office."</ref>

In May 2015, the borough council selected Thomas Calabrese from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the vacant mayoral seat.<ref>Tat, Linh. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160304102849/http://www.northjersey.com/news/thomas-calabrese-named-cliffside-park-mayor-1.1325969 "Thomas Calabrese named Cliffside Park mayor"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', May 5, 2015, backed up by the [[Internet Archive]] as of March 4, 2016. Accessed September 10, 2017. "On Tuesday, three weeks after Gerry Calabrese's death, residents learned that they will continue to call Mr. Calabrese their mayor — Thomas Calabrese, that is. As acting mayor the past 20 months, Thomas, who was also council president, was the heir apparent to the title last held by his father, who set the record as New Jersey's longest-serving mayor."</ref> Calabrese replaced his father, [[Gerald Calabrese]], who was elected to the borough council in 1955 and had served continuously as mayor of Cliffside Park from 1965 until his death in April 2015, making him the longest-serving mayor in state history.<ref>Rosenfeld, Stacey. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160306135907/http://www.northjersey.com/news/calabrese-sworn-in-for-13th-term-as-mayor-of-cliffside-park-1.232795 "Calabrese sworn in for 13th term as mayor of Cliffside Park"], ''Cliffside Park Citizen'', January 9, 2012, backed up by the [[Internet Archive]] as of March 6, 2016. Accessed September 10, 2017. "Cliffside Park Mayor, Gerald 'Gerry' Calabrese, made history when he was sworn in to commence his 13th term as Mayor of the borough Jan.4. Calabrese, 86, was first elected to the Cliffside Park Borough Council in 1955 at age 30. In 1959 he became mayor and has continuously served as the borough's Chief Executive since 1965, distinguishing him as the longest-serving Mayor in the State of New Jersey."</ref> In June 2015, Peter Colao was appointed to fill the vacant council seat expiring in December 2016 that had been held by Calabrese before he was selected to fill the vacancy as mayor.<ref>Tat, Linh. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160530150625/http://www.northjersey.com/news/cliffside-park-tax-assessor-to-fill-calabrese-s-council-seat-1.1349843 "Cliffside Park tax assessor to fill Calabrese's council seat"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', June 5, 2015, backed up by the [[Internet Archive]] as of March 4, 2016. Accessed September 10, 2017. "The borough's tax assessor and chairman of its Housing Authority was appointed Wednesday to fill the council seat vacated by Thomas Calabrese last month when he became mayor. Peter Colao, whose appointment ends Dec. 31, said he plans to run in this fall's general election for a one-year unexpired term ending December 2016."</ref>