Editing Merchantville, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
[[File:Merchantville, NJ municipal building, May 2022.jpg|thumb|Merchantville Municipal Building]]
Merchantville is governed under the [[Borough (New Jersey)|borough]] form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the most commonly used form of government in the state.<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, pg. 38.</ref>

The borough form of government used by Merchantville 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=2014-09-24 }}, [[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|2023}}, the [[mayor]] of Merchantville Borough is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Edward F. "Ted" Brennan, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Sean H. Fitzgerald (D, 2023), Andrew O. McLoone (D, 2023), Cindy Morales (D, 2024), Anthony J. Perno III (D, 2025), Daniel J. Sperrazza (D, 2024) and Raymond H. Woods III (D, 2025).<ref name=MayorCouncil>[https://www.merchantvillenj.gov/mayor-council/ Mayor and Council], Borough of Merchantville. Accessed June 8, 2023.</ref><ref>[https://www.merchantvillenj.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023a-Adopted-Budget-1.pdf 2023 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Merchantville. Accessed June 8, 2023.</ref><ref name=Camden2022>[https://www.camdencounty.com/wp-content/elections/general2022/2022-General-Election-Canvasser.pdf Official Election Results 2022 General Election November 8, 2022], Camden County, New Jersey, as of November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Camden2021>[https://www.camdencounty.com/wp-content/elections/general2021/2021-General-Election-Canvasser.pdf 2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Election Results], [[Camden County, New Jersey]], update November 15, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Camden2020>[https://www.camdencounty.com/wp-content/elections/general2020/2020-General-Election-Canvasser.pdf 2020 General Election November 3, 2020 Official Election Results], [[Camden County, New Jersey]], update November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref>

In May 2018, the borough council appointed Sean Fitzgerald to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Katherine Swann until she resigned from office.<ref>[http://www.merchantville.com/k2/merchantville-boro/merchantville-boro-mayor-and-council/merchantville-boro-mayor-and-council-notices/fitzgerald-appointed-to-vacancy-2018051410/ "Fitzgerald Appointed to Vacancy"], Merchantville Online, May 14, 2018. Accessed September 18, 2019. "Sean Fitzgerald, center, was sworn in this evening (5/14) by Mayor Ted Brennan, left, as a member of the Merchantville Borough Council. He fills the seat left vacant by the resignation of Katherine Erhard Swann."</ref> Fitzgerald served on an interim basis until the November 2018 general election when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref name=Camden2018>[https://www.camdencounty.com/wp-content/elections/general2018/2018-General_Election_Canvasser.pdf Official Election Results 2018 General Election November 6, 2018], [[Camden County, New Jersey]], amended December 4, 2018. Accessed January 1, 2019.</ref>