Editing Highlands, New Jersey (section)

==Government==

===Local government===
Highlands is governed by a [[Faulkner Act]], formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the [[Faulkner Act (small municipality)|Small Municipality]] (Plan C) form of New Jersey municipal government, enacted by direct petition as of January 1, 1978.<ref>[http://www.dudley-2010.com/Faulkner%20Act%2046pages.pdf "The Faulkner Act: New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012040522/http://www.dudley-2010.com/Faulkner%20Act%2046pages.pdf |date=2013-10-12 }}, [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], July 2007. Accessed September 17, 2013.</ref> The borough is one of 18 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government, which is only available to municipalities with a population below 12,000 at the time of adoption.<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 the mayor and the four-member [[Borough Council (New Jersey)|borough council]], who are elected on an [[at-large]] basis in [[non-partisan democracy|non-partisan]] voting to three-year terms on a staggered basis as part of the November general election, in a three-year cycle in which two council seats come up for election in each of two consecutive years followed by the mayoral seat up for vote in the third year.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 58.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=14 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 14. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref><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 January 1, 2025.</ref> This form of government was adopted in 1956.<ref>Bryson, James W. [http://www.highlandsnj.com/history/StoryOf.html The History of Highlands] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121133429/http://www.highlandsnj.com/history/StoryOf.html |date=2008-11-21 }}, Borough of Highlands. Accessed May 21, 2008. "The present form of government, councilmanic form under the Faulkner Act, Small Municipality Plan B, came into effect in 1956."</ref> In a 2014 referendum, voters changed the format and timing of elections from partisan in November to nonpartisan in May.<ref name=TRT2014>Burton, John. [http://trtnj.com/514-highlands-voters-elect-incumbent-kane-newcomer-francy/ "Borough voters going to the polls on Tuesday elected two members to the borough council in the borough's first non-partisan election. Voters approved a referendum in November that changed the election to a non-partisan vote."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150613194843/http://trtnj.com/514-highlands-voters-elect-incumbent-kane-newcomer-francy/ |date=June 13, 2015 }}, ''The Two River Times'', May 14, 2014. Accessed June 11, 2015. 'Borough voters going to the polls on Tuesday elected two members to the borough council in the borough's first non-partisan election. Voters approved a referendum in November that changed the election to a non-partisan vote."</ref> In the November 2014 general election, voters approved a referendum shifting the borough's nonpartisan elections from May to November, with the first November nonpartisan municipal election taking place in 2015.<ref name=Monmouth2014>[http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/54229/149584/Web01/en/summary.html November 4, 2014 General Election Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]], updated November 24, 2014. Accessed July 14, 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.highlandsnj.us/docs/Ordinance/2014/O-14-07%20An%20Ordinance%20Placing%20The%20Question%20Of%20Whether%20The%20Borough%20Regular%20Municipal%20Elections%20Currently%20Held%20On%20The%20Second%20Tuesday%20In%20May%20Shall%20Be%20Held%20On%20The%20Day%20Of%20The%20General%20Election%20The%20Tuesday%20After%20The%20First%20Monday%20In%20November%20-%20Adoption.pdf An Ordinance Placing The Question Of Whether The Borough Of Highlands Regular Municipal Elections Currently Held On The Second Tuesday In May Shall Be Held On The Day Of The General Election, The Tuesday After The First Monday In November], Borough of Highlands, June 18, 2014. Accessed November 12, 2015.</ref>

{{As of|2025}}, the mayor of the Borough of Highlands is Carolyn Broullon, whose term of office ends December 31, 2025.<ref name=Mayor>[https://highlandsborough.org/government/mayors-welcome-updates/ Mayor's Welcome Message], Borough of Highlands. Accessed January 27, 2025.</ref> Members of the Highlands Borough Council are Council President JoAnne Provenzano Olszewski (2026), Leo Cervantes (2027), Karen Chelak (2027) and Donald Melnyk (2026).<ref name=MayorCouncil>[https://highlandsborough.org/government/ Government], Borough of Highlands. Accessed January 27, 2025.</ref><ref>[https://highlandsborough.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Supporting-Doc-R-24-092-2024-Introduced-Budget-Highlands.pdf 2024 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Highlands. Accessed January 27, 2025.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2024>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/122857/web.345435/#/summary November 5, 2024 General Election Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]], updated December 16, 2024. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2023>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/119047/web.317647/#/summary November 8, 2023 General Election Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]], updated January 18, 2024. Accessed January 22, 2024.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2022>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/116246/web.307039/#/summary General Election November 8, 2022 Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated December 27, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref>

===Federal, state and county representation===
Highlands is in the 6th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2012-congressional-districts/njcd-2011-plan-components-county-mcd.pdf Plan Components Report], [[New Jersey Redistricting Commission]], December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 13th state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2011-legislative-districts/towns-districts.pdf Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District], [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>[https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5bae63366fd2b2e5b9f87e5e/5d30f0a94a82c66427e564d2_2019_CitizensGuide.pdf ''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''], New Jersey [[League of Women Voters]]. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp#13 Districts by Number for 2011-2020], [[New Jersey Legislature]]. Accessed January 6, 2013.</ref>

{{NJ Congress 06}} {{NJ Senate}}

{{NJ Legislative 13}}

{{NJ Monmouth County Commissioners}}

===Politics===
{{PresHead|place=Highlands|source=<ref>{{Cite web |title=NJ DOS - Division of Elections - Election Results Archive |url=https://nj.gov/state/elections/election-information-results.shtml |access-date=2023-09-24 |website=nj.gov}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|1,379|1,320|45|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|1,387|1,429|43|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|1,172|983|94|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|837|1,044|31|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|1,108|1,266|42|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|1,230|1,164|25|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|878|1,177|118|New Jersey}}{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|629|1,108|291|New Jersey}}{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|832|939|491|New Jersey}}
|}

As of March 23, 2011, there were 3,118 registered voters in Highlands, of whom 880 (28.2%) were registered [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], 728 (23.3%) registered [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and 1,509 (48.4%) [[Unaffiliated (New Jersey)|unaffiliated]]. One voter was registered to another party.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2011-monmouth-co-summary-report.pdf Voter Registration Summary - Monmouth], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 4, 2012.</ref>

In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012|2012 presidential election]], Democrat [[Barack Obama]] received 54.6% of the vote (1,044), ahead of Republican [[Mitt Romney]] with 43.8% (837), and other candidates with 1.6% (31), with 1,930 ballots cast by the borough's 3,294 registered voters (18 ballots were [[Spoilt vote|spoiled]]), for a turnout of 58.6%.<ref name=2012Elections>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-presidential-monmouth.pdf |title=Presidential General Election Results - November 6, 2012 - Monmouth County |date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-ballotscast-monmouth.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 6, 2012 - General Election Results - Monmouth County|date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2008|2008 presidential election]], Obama received 51.3% of the vote (1,266), ahead of Republican [[John McCain]] with 44.9% (1,108) and other candidates with 1.7% (42), with 2,467 ballots cast by the borough's 3,451 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.5%.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2008-gen-elect-presidential-results-monmouth.pdf 2008 Presidential General Election Results: Monmouth County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed December 4, 2012.</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2004|2004 presidential election]], Republican [[George W. Bush]] received 50.6% of the vote (1,230), outpolling Democrat [[John Kerry]] with 47.9% (1,164) and other candidates with 0.7% (25 votes), with 2,429 ballots cast by the borough's 3,431 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.8%.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2004-presidential_monmouth_co_2004.pdf 2004 Presidential Election: Monmouth County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed December 4, 2012.</ref>

In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2013|2013 gubernatorial election]], Republican [[Chris Christie]] received 67.9% of the vote (960), ahead of Democrat [[Barbara Buono]] with 29.7% (419), and other candidates with 2.4% (34), with 1,442 ballots cast by the borough's 3,166 registered voters (29 were spoiled), for a turnout of 45.5%.<ref name=2013Elections>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-monmouth.pdf |title=Governor - Monmouth County |date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-ballotscast-monmouth.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 5, 2013 - General Election Results - Monmouth County|date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref> In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009|2009 gubernatorial election]], Christie received 55.1% of the vote (887), ahead of Democrat [[Jon Corzine]] with 34.3% (553), Independent [[Chris Daggett]] with 7.1% (115) and other candidates with 2.4% (39), with 1,611 ballots cast by the borough's 3,216 registered voters, a 50.1% turnout.<ref>[http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-monmouth.pdf 2009 Governor: Monmouth County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017230351/http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-monmouth.pdf |date=2012-10-17 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed December 4, 2012.</ref>