Editing Jefferson Township, New Jersey (section)

=== Local government ===
Jefferson Township is governed under a [[Faulkner Act (mayor–council)|Mayor-Council]] system of municipal government under the [[Faulkner Act]]. The township is one of 71 (of the 564) municipalities statewide that use this form of government.<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 five-member Township Council. All governing body officials are elected [[at-large]] in partisan elections to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis in even-numbered years as part of the November general election, with three council seats up together for election and then two council seats and the mayoral seat coming up for election together two years later.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 116.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=10 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 10. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref>

{{As of|2023}}, the [[Mayor]] of Jefferson Township is [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Eric Wilsusen, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026.<ref name=Administration>[https://www.jeffersontownship.net/149/Administration Administration], Jefferson Township. Accessed April 26, 2023.</ref> Members of the Jefferson Township Council are Council President Melissa Senatore (R, 2026), Council Vice President Jay Dunham (R, 2024), Robert Birmingham (R, 2024), Josh Kalish (R, 2026) and H. Ronald Smith (R, 2024).<ref>[https://www.jeffersontownship.net/304/Town-Council Township Council], Jefferson Township. Accessed April 26, 2023.</ref><ref>[https://ecode360.com/JE0145/document/717472426.pdf 2023 Municipal Data Sheet], Jefferson Township. Accessed April 26, 2023.</ref><ref name=MorrisManual>[https://www.morriscountyclerk.org/files/sharedassets/clerk/v/3/manual/mc-manual-2024-web-040924.pdf#page=37 ''Morris County Manual 2024''], [[Morris County, New Jersey]] Clerk. Accessed May 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=MorrisOfficials>[https://www.morriscountyclerk.org/files/sharedassets/clerk/v/9/elections/2024-municipal-elected-officials-032224.pdf ''Morris County Municipal Elected Officials For The Year 2024''], [[Morris County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated March 20, 2024. Accessed May 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Morris2022>[https://www.morriscountyclerk.org/files/sharedassets/clerk/elections/past-results/2022-general-municipality-report-official.pdf General Election November 8, 2022, Official Results], [[Morris County, New Jersey]], updated November 28, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Morris2021>[https://www.morriscountyclerk.org/files/sharedassets/clerk/elections/past-results/2021-general-winners-121421.pdf General Election Winners For November 2, 2021], [[Morris County, New Jersey]] Clerk. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Morris2020>[https://www.morriscountyclerk.org/files/sharedassets/clerk/elections/past-results/2020-general-summary-report-official.pdf General Election 2020 November 3, 2020 Summary Report Official Results], [[Morris County, New Jersey]], updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref>

In March 2021, Josh Kalish was selected 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 Debi Merz Bennett until she stepped down from office the previous month.<ref>[https://www.jeffersontownship.net/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_03242021-351 Meeting Minutes for March 24, 2021], Jefferson Township. Accessed May 1, 2022. "Mr. Kalish was announced as Council’s appointment to fill the vacancy. Council President Senatore thanked all the candidates and said everyone was very qualified and to please stay actively involved in town. 7. OATH OF OFFICE Ms. Reilly administered the Oath of Office to Mr. Kalish."</ref> Kalish 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=Morris2021/><ref>[https://www.jeffersontownship.net/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Minutes/_02242021-413 Special Meeting Minutes for February 24, 2021], Jefferson Township. Accessed May 1, 2022. "Council President Senatore said Councilwoman Bennett had an announcement to make. Councilwoman Bennett said she would like to formally let her fellow council members and the administration know that she is retiring and resigning her position. She said she has spent over thirty (30) years of her life in an elected capacity and probably three quarters of her life in volunteer positions and is now moving on to another phase in her life. Councilwoman Bennett stated that her retirement would be effective as of February 28th of this month."</ref>

In May 2017, Michael J. Sanchelli resigned from his seat expiring in December 2018, after being mandated to leave office due to issues related to his state pension which require him to be out of office for 180 days.<ref>Luciano, Kelen. [http://www.thejeffersonchronicle.com/sanchelli-forced-retire-town-council-state-law/ "Sanchelli Forced to Retire From Town Council by State Law"], ''The Jefferson Chronicle'', April 24, 2017. Accessed May 8, 2017. "Town Council Vice President Michael Sanchelli resigned from office effective May 1. He was forced to resign from office after retiring from the County of Morris and the Public Employee retirement system."</ref>

In April 2016, the Township Council selected Kimberly Finnegan from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that had been held by Richard W. Yocum until his resignation.<ref>Primerano, Jane. [http://www.northjersey.com/community-news/town-government/finnegan-sworn-in-for-council-harvin-leaves-post-as-clerk-1.1555298 "Finnegan sworn in for Jefferson council, Harvin leaves post as clerk"], ''AIM Jefferson'', April 29, 2016. Accessed July 24, 2016. "She's been at countless council meetings in 22 years on the Jefferson Rescue Squad, but on Wednesday, April 20, Kim Finnegan took her place on the dais as the newest Jefferson Township Council member.... The township's Republican County Committee sent council three names as per state law and the four council members who remain after the resignation of Council President Richard Yocum and the governing body picked Finnegan who is now chief of the squad."</ref>