Editing Lopatcong Township, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Lopatcong Township is governed by the [[Faulkner Act (small municipality)|Small Municipality]] form of government, which is available under the terms of the [[Faulkner Act]] only for those municipalities with a population below 12,000 at the time of adoption. The township is one of 18 municipalities (of the 564) 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 four-member Township Council, with all positions elected [[at-large]] on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a three-year term of office. Council members are elected to serve a term of three years on a staggered basis, so that two seats come up for election in the two years that the mayor is not up for election.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 103.</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>

{{As of|2022}}, members of the Lopatcong Township Council are [[Mayor]] James Mengucci ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]], term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2020), Council President William D. Wright (R, 2022), Louis Belcaro (R, 2024), Richard McQuade (R, 2024) and James Palitto (R, 2022).<ref name=Council>[https://www.lopatcongtwp.com/government/council Council], Lopatcong Township. Accessed March 2, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.lopatcongtwp.com/home/showpublisheddocument/1253/637854386262447268#page=14 2022 Municipal Data Sheet], Lopatcong Township. Accessed June 21, 2022.</ref><ref name=Warren2021>[https://www.warrencountyvotes.com/home/showpublisheddocument/3284/637729175316070000 Summary Results Report 2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results], Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Warren2020>[https://www.warrencountyvotes.com/home/showpublisheddocument/2484/637648299297000000 Warren County 2020 General Election November 20, 2020 Official Results], Warren County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref><ref name=Warren2019>[https://www.warrencountyvotes.com/home/showpublisheddocument/2470/637642013517370000 General Election November 5, 2019, Warren County Official Tally], [[Warren County, New Jersey]], updated November 12, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref>

In June 2016, the Township Council unanimously selected Yvonne Reitemeyer from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that became vacant following the resignation of Donna Schneider.<ref>Novak, Steve. [http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/phillipsburg/index.ssf/2016/06/meet_lopatcong_townships_newes.html "Meet Lopatcong Township's newest councilwoman"], ''[[The Express-Times]]'', June 28, 2016. Accessed August 8, 2016. "Lopatcong Township has a new councilwoman, though only for the next six months. Yvonne Reitemeyer, 46, was unanimously selected by the council Monday night to fill the rest of the term left by Councilwoman Donna Schneider's resignation this month."</ref><ref>[http://www.lopatcongtwp.com/joomla/pdf/2016/mm/20160627cmm.pdf Special Meeting Minutes June 27, 2016], Township of Lopatcong. Accessed August 8, 2016. "Council Vacancy: - Council President Pryor made a motion to appoint Yvonne Reitemeyer to fill the Council vacancy, seconded by Councilman Belcaro. Roll call vote: AYES: Councilman Belcaro, Councilwoman McCabe, Council President Pryor, Mayor McKay; NAYS: None. Yvonne Reitemeyer was sworn in as Councilwoman."</ref>

In the November 2012 general election, Lori Ciesla, who ran as part of the independent slate of Responsible Lopatcong Leadership, won election, as did Maureen McCabe who won an unexpired one-year term when she defeated Republican incumbent Andrew Horun who had been appointed earlier in the year to fill the vacant seat of H. Matthew Curry.<ref>Foster, David. [http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/phillipsburg/index.ssf/2012/11/lopatcong_township_council.html "Independents take two seats, Republican one on Lopatcong Township Council, according to unofficial results"], ''[[The Express-Times]]'', November 7, 2012. Accessed June 10, 2013. "Independent candidate Lori Ciesla secured a nod for the three-year seat along with Republican Louis Belcaro.... Independent Maureen McCabe squeaked out a win by four votes over incumbent Andrew Horun for the one-year term. Horun was appointed by council in April to fill a vacancy left by H. Matthew Curry."</ref>