Editing Demarest, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Demarest 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 Demarest 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]]. Accessed January 25, 2024.</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 Demarest Borough is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Brian K. Bernstein, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Andrea Slowikowski ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]], 2024), Adam J. Collins (D, 2026), Daryl Ury Fox (D, 2024), David Jiang (D, 2025), Daniel Marks (D, 2025) and Jonathan Reiss (D, 2026).<ref name=Committee>[https://demarestnj.gov/government/mayor Meet Your Officials], Borough of Demarest. Accessed April 21, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://demarestnj.gov/government/budgets/2023/120-2023-budget-introduced/file 2023 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Demarest. Accessed April 21, 2024.</ref><ref name=BergenCountyDirectory>[https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/images/About_Bergen_County/2024-county-directory.pdf#page=38 ''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>

On the night of the November 2018 general election, Melinda Iannuzzi won the first seat with 1,099 votes and Republican Joseph Gray won the second seat with 1,094 votes with Jim Caroll in fourth place; Later that month, once all ballots were counted and the results were certified, Carroll pulled ahead and won the second council seat up for election.<ref>Noda, Stephanie. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2016/11/18/democrat-carroll-upset-winner-demarest-council-seat/94076104/ "Democrat Carroll is upset winner for Demarest council"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', November 18, 2016. Accessed September 16, 2019. "In the latest numbers, to be certified later Friday, Carroll and Democratic incumbent Melinda Iannuzzi received 1,103 and 1,258 votes respectively, to win the two full-term seats up for grabs, according to the Bergen County Board of Elections. Republican incumbents Joseph Gray and Joseph Connolly finished with 1,094 and 1,093 votes respectively. On Nov. 8, Iannuzzi had received the most votes, 1,099, for one of the seats. Gray, with 998 votes, appeared to have bested Carroll, with 965 votes, and Connolly, with 986 votes, for the second seat but the addition of the outstanding ballots gave Carroll the win."</ref>

Joseph N. Connolly was appointed to take office in December 2015, filling the vacant seat expiring in December 2017 left by the resignation of Republican Steve Schleim.<ref>Miraglia, Mary. [http://cresskill.dailyvoice.com/politics/joseph-connolly-sworn-in-as-new-demarest-councilman/611235/ "Joseph Connolly Sworn In As New Demarest Councilman"], Cresskil-Closter-Demarest Daily Voice, December 23, 2015. Accessed April 18, 2016. "Joseph N. Connolly has been sworn in as Demarest Councilman, filling a vacancy left by Steve Schleim's resignation."</ref> In the November 2016 general election, Democrat Rebecca LaPira was elected to serve the one year remaining on the term of office.<ref name=Bergen2016>[http://www.bergencountyclerk.org/_Content/pdf/elections/BC-Statement-of-Vote-Book-11-08-2016.pdf Bergen County Statement of Vote November 8, 2016, General Election], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], November 18, 2016. Accessed July 3, 2018.</ref>

Gregg Paster was appointed in October 2013 to fill the vacant seat of Blake Chroman that was due to expire at the end of 2015. Paster served on an interim basis until a special ballot item in November 2014, when voters chose him to serve the balance of Chroman's term of office.<ref>Curley, Mike. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160814015730/http://www.northjersey.com/news/paster-tapped-to-replace-chroman-on-demarest-council-1.593734 "Paster tapped to replace Chroman on Demarest council"], ''Northern Valley Suburbanite'', October 10, 2013, backed up by the [[Internet Archive]] as of August 14, 2016. Accessed September 12, 2017. "The borough council appointed Gregg Paster to replace Blake Chroman on the council at the Oct. 7 council meeting. Paster was one of three candidates nominated by the Bergen County Democratic Committee to fill the spot, along with Zoning Board of Adjustment Chairperson Daryl Fox, and former mayor James Carroll."</ref>