Editing Pemberton Township, New Jersey (section)

=== Local government ===
[[File:Pemberton Township, NJ municipal building (2), Dec. 2024.jpg|thumb|right|Pemberton Township Municipal Complex]]
Pemberton Township is governed within the [[Faulkner Act]] (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the [[Faulkner Act (mayor–council)|Mayor-Council]] form of municipal government (Plan 1), implemented based on the recommendations of a [[Charter Study Commission]] as of January 1, 1991, changing from a five-member [[Township (New Jersey)|Township Committee]] form based on the results of a referendum passed by voters in 1989.<ref>[http://www.dudley-2010.com/Faulkner%20Act%2046pages.pdf "The Faulkner Act: New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law"], [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], July 2007. Accessed November 29, 2013. Source incorrectly lists Pemberton Borough, which has never had a Faulkner act form.</ref><ref name=FormOfGovernment>[https://www.pemberton-twp.com/government/township_council/form_of_government.php Local Government Mayor-Council Plan], Township of Pemberton. Accessed July 6, 2022. "Pemberton Township's form of government is the 'Mayor-Council Plan' under the Optional Charter Plan (Faulkner Act), NJSA 40:69A. The Township is governed by an elected Council and an elected Mayor which serve for a term of four years."</ref><ref>Ginburg, Yana. [https://web.archive.org/web/20131204074513/http://articles.philly.com/1992-09-13/news/26023324_1_council-members-faulkner-act-terms "Suit Pending On Staggered Council Terms It's A Question Of Continuity And Stability. It's Two-year Terms Versus Four."], ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', September 13, 1992. Accessed November 29, 2013. "Democrats are basing their case on the Charter Study Commission Report of 1989, which preceded Pemberton's 1990 change of government from a five-member committee to a mayor-council plan. Voters approved the change in 1989 and elected an all-Republican mayor and five-member council in 1990. The new government officially took effect in January 1991."</ref> The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under the Mayor-Council form.<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 of whom are elected [[at-large]] in partisan elections to serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two seats (and the mayoral seat) or three seats up for election during even-numbered years as part of the November general election.<ref name=FormOfGovernment/><ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 43.</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>

Voters approved a November 2006 referendum to change from having all five council seats up for vote simultaneously to a system in which the elections are staggered every two years. Under the terms of the change, the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes in the November 2010 election would serve full four-year terms, with the three other winners serving two-year terms.<ref>DeCastro, Lavinia. [https://www.proquest.com/docview/437187087 "Three ballot questions approved"], ''[[Courier-Post]]'', November 8, 2006. Accessed November 29, 2013. "In Pemberton Township, voters decided to authorize staggering the terms for township council members. Currently, all five council terms expire at the same time. The ordinance will go into effect at the next general election, conducted in November 2010. The two council members who receive the highest number of votes in that election will serve four-year terms through 2014."</ref> As the three winners with the lowest number of votes in the 2010 election, the terms of Rick Prickett, Sherry Scull and Diane Stinney ended in December 2012.<ref>Zimmaro, Mark. [http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlington_county_times_news/democrats-win-complete-control-of-pemberton-township-council/article_68ef4920-1eb4-580f-9b7c-f79e3350605f.html?TNNoMobile "Democrats win complete control of Pemberton Township Council"], ''[[Burlington County Times]]'', November 7, 2012. Accessed November 29, 2013. "This year's election was slightly different for township voters. Previously, all five council seats and the mayor's seat were on the ballot in the same election year and ran on four-year cycles. That was until the 2010 election, when voters approved a referendum to stagger the terms of the seats, causing three council seats to expire in 2012. Those seats were held by Democrats Sherry Scull and Diane Stinney and Republican Rick Prickett."</ref>

Sherry Scull resigned from office in August 2015 due to issues related to her state pension.<ref>Levinsky, David. [http://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/local/pemberton-township-council-to-choose-replacement-for-scull/article_2c2c806c-5029-11e5-8eca-9b646cded4ef.html "Pemberton Township Council to choose replacement for Scull"], ''[[Burlington County Times]]'', August 31, 2015. "The Township Council will have plenty of latitude when deciding who should fill the seat vacated by Democrat Sherry Scull.Scull resigned from the council Aug. 11, citing a New Jersey pension rule that forced her to step down in order to receive her pension from the township school district."</ref> In September, the Township Council selected Thomas J. Cathers Sr., from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat on an interim basis. In the November general election, Republican Jack Tompkins was elected to fill the balance of the term through December 2016.<ref>Krebs, Rose. [http://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/local/election/newcomer-elected-to-pemberton-township-council-to-fill-unexpired-term/article_a742434e-82a2-11e5-adae-dfb5b252b21b.html "Newcomer elected to Pemberton Township council to fill unexpired term"]{{Dead link|date=December 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, ''[[Burlington County Times]]'', November 3, 2015. Accessed November 14, 2015. "Republican Jack Tompkins defeated Democrat Thomas J. Cathers Sr. by a 943 to 899 vote, according to unofficial results.... Cathers, 69, was appointed to the council Sept. 2 to fill the seat left vacant in August by Democrat Sherry Scull, who stepped down citing a New Jersey pension rule that forced her to step down in order to receive her pension from the township school district."</ref>

In March 2016, the Township Council appointed former councilmember Kenneth Cartier to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that became vacant following the death of Diane Stinney.<ref>Levinsky, David. [http://www.burlingtoncountytimes.com/news/local/former-councilman-cartier-appointed-to-pemberton-township-seat/article_044336ac-e15d-11e5-ab35-bf43390a981e.html "Former councilman Cartier appointed to Pemberton Township seat"], ''[[Burlington County Times]]'', March 3, 2016. Accessed June 22, 2016. "The Pemberton Township Council is at five members again after Democrat Ken Cartier was named to fill the vacant seat left by the death of Diane Stinney."</ref>

In March 2018, Elisabeth McCartney was appointed to fill the seat expiring December 2020 that became vacant following the resignation of Kenneth Cartier, who announced that he was moving out of the township.<ref>Blay, Joyce. [http://pinebarrenstribune.com/pemberton-aims-to-seize-longblighted-shopping-center-mccartney-appointed-p1995-165.htm "Pemberton Aims To Seize Long-Blighted Shopping Center; McCartney Appointed To Pemberton Council To Fill Vacancy"], ''Pine Barrens Tribune'', March 30, 2018. Accessed October 23, 2019. "Patriarca congratulated council's newest member, Elisabeth McCartney, who was appointed to fill the unexpired term of former Pemberton Councilman Ken Cartier.... Cartier, who moved out of the area, resigned on March 11."</ref> McCartney served on an interim basis until the November 2018 general election, when she was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref name=Burlington2018>[http://press.co.burlington.nj.us/PRESS/EResults//2018/2018G_Summary.pdf November 6, 2018 General Election Summary Report Official Results], [[Burlington County, New Jersey]], updated November 17, 2018. Accessed January 1, 2019.</ref>

{{As of|2023}}, the [[Mayor]] of Pemberton Township is [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Jack K. Tompkins, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026.<ref name=Mayor>[https://www.pemberton-twp.com/government/mayor.php Office of the Mayor], Pemberton Township. Accessed January 9, 2023.</ref> Members of the Pemberton Township Council are Paul C. Detrick (D, 2024), Daniel Dewey Sr. (R, 2026), Donovan Gardner (D, 2024), Elisabeth McCartney (D, 2024) and Joshua Ward (R, 2026).<ref>[https://www.pemberton-twp.com/government/township_council/index.php Township Council], Pemberton Township. Accessed January 9, 2023.</ref><ref>[https://cms8.revize.com/revize/pembertontwpnj/2022%20Signed%20Introduced%20Budget%20from%20DCA.pdf#page=12 2022 Municipal Data Sheet], Pemberton Township. Accessed July 6, 2022.</ref><ref name=Burlington2022>[https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/3942/General-Election November 8, 2022 General Election Summary Report Official Results], [[Burlington County, New Jersey]], updated November 23, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Burlington2020>[https://press.co.burlington.nj.us/PRESS/ElectionArchive//2020//2020_GEN_Official_Summary_Report.pdf November 3, 2020 Summary Report Burlington County Official Results], [[Burlington County, New Jersey]], updated November 23, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref>

The police department consists of 57 officers and is headed by Chief David Jantas.<ref>[http://www.pembertonpolice.com/ Home page], Pemberton Township Police Department. Accessed January 29, 2012.</ref>