Editing Ridgefield, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
[[File:2016-03-12 16 49 54 View north along U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 9 (Broad Avenue) at Bergen County Route 124 (Hendricks Causeway) in Ridgefield, Bergen County, New Jersey.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Broad Avenue in Ridgefield]]
Ridgefield is governed under the [[Borough (New Jersey)|borough]] form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.<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, p. 160.</ref> The borough form of government used by Ridgefield 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 Ridgefield Borough is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Hugo Jimenez, who was appointed to serve an unexpired term of office ending on December 31, 2023. Members of the Ridgefield Borough Council are Council President Russell A. Castelli (D, 2023), Craig Dorsett (D, 2024), Hugo Jimenez (D, 2025), James V. Kontolios (D, 2025), Lauren Larkin (D, 2023) and Yongki Colin Ryu (D, 2024; appointed to serve an unexpired term).<ref name=MayorCouncil>[http://www.ridgefieldnj.gov/index.asp?Type=B_DIR&SEC={13AFB65E-F322-49CE-A66B-78315FBE50BE} Meet Our Mayor and Council], Ridgefield, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2022. "The Mayor is elected to a four-year term and is eligible for re-election.... The Council consists of six members. Two are elected at large each year for three-year terms."</ref><ref>[https://www.ridgefieldnj.gov/vertical/sites/%7BB4066A45-ED3A-4321-9A1B-3898EDEEE668%7D/uploads/Borough_of_Ridgefield_-_2022_Budget_Adopted(1).pdf 2022 Municipal Data Sheet], Ridgefield, New Jersey. Accessed July 20, 2022.</ref><ref name=BergenCountyDirectory>[https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/images/About_Bergen_County/2024-county-directory.pdf#page=58 ''2024 County and Municipal Directory''], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], April 2024. Accessed April 15, 2024.</ref><ref name=Bergen2022>[https://www.bergencountyclerk.org/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/Certified%20Statement%20of%20Vote%20Book%2011-21-22.pdf Bergen County November 8, 2022 General Election Statement of Vote], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Bergen2021>[https://www.bergencountyclerk.org/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/Statement%20of%20Vote%2011-17-21(1).pdf Bergen County Statement of Vote November 2, 2021 Official results], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], updated November 17, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Bergen2020>[https://www.bergencountyclerk.org/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/NOV_2020_General_Precinct_Summary.pdf Precinct Summary Results Report - Combined 2020 Bergen County General Election - November 3, 2020 Official Results], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], December 3, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref><ref name=Bergen2019>[http://www.bergencountyclerk.org/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/SOV%20Book%20Report%20as%20of%2012-10-2019.pdf Bergen County November 5, 2019 General Election Statement of Vote], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated December 10, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref>

Hugo Jimenez was appointed as mayor to fill the unexpired seat of [[Anthony R. Suarez]] expiring in December 2023 that became vacant when he took a seat as a judge. Joanna Leigh Congalton-Hali was appointed to fill the council seat Jimenez had held expiring in December 2025.

In January 2023, the borough council selected Yongki Colin Ryu to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Ray Penabad until he resigned from office; Ryu will serve on an interim basis until the November 2023 general election, when voters will select a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref>[https://www.ridgefieldnj.gov/vertical/sites/%7BB4066A45-ED3A-4321-9A1B-3898EDEEE668%7D/uploads/January_7_2023_Sine_Die_Agenda.pdf Mayor and Council Meeting Agenda for January 7, 2023], Borough of Ridgefield. Accessed March 15, 2023. "WHEREAS, there is a vacancy on the Council due to the recent resignation of Councilman Ray Penabad; and WHEREAS, the Democratic Municipal Committee has selected the following three (3) nominees: YONGKI COLIN RYU, YVONNE CARBONE, CHARLES APKARIAN; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Ridgefield select ____________________ to fill the unexpired term of Ray Penabad until the 2023 General Election."</ref>

In June 2018, the borough council selected Lauren Larkin from a list of three candidates to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that became vacant following the resignation of Javier Acosta.<ref>[https://www.ridgefieldnj.gov/vertical/sites/%7BB4066A45-ED3A-4321-9A1B-3898EDEEE668%7D/uploads/June_20_2018_Agenda(2).pdf#page=5 Meeting Agenda for June 20, 2018], Borough of Ridgefield. Accessed October 6, 2019. "Whereas, there is a vacancy on the Council due to the recent resignation of Councilman Javier Acosta.... Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Ridgefield select Lauren Larkin to fill the unexpired term of Javier Acosta until the 2018 General Election."</ref> Larkin 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=Bergen2018>[http://www.bergencountyclerk.org/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/SOV%20Report%20Recertification.pdf Bergen County November 6, 2018 General Election Statement of Vote], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated February 11, 2019. Accessed September 26, 2019.</ref>

In July 2009, Mayor Suarez was one of 44 people arrested across the state as part of [[Operation Bid Rig]], a joint investigation into [[political corruption]] and [[money laundering]]. Suarez was charged with accepting a $10,000 cash bribe for assistance in arranging approvals to develop properties in Ridgefield.<ref>Staff. [https://www.nj.com/news/2009/07/nj_corruption_probe_full_list.html "N.J. corruption probe: List of politicians, religious leaders charged"], ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'', April 1, 2009, updated October 6, 2019. Accessed October 6, 2019. "The U.S. Attorney's Office has divided the 44 people charged in the sweeping N.J. federal probe into two groups -- those accused of public corruption, and those charged in the international money laundering ring.... Anthony Suarez, mayor of Ridgefield Borough and an attorney, and co-defendant Vincent Tabbachino, owner of a tax preparation business in Guttenberg. Suarez accepted $10,000 from the cooperating witness through Tabbachino as a middleman, for Suarez's promised assistance in getting approvals to develop properties in Ridgefield."</ref> In a special election in August 2010, an effort to [[Recall election|recall]] Suarez failed by a 38-vote margin.<ref>[[Richard Pérez-Peña|Perez-Pena, Richard]]. [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/nyregion/19ridgefield.html "A Town Touched by Scandal Withholds Judgment"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', August 18, 2010. Accessed October 6, 2019. "Ridgefield voters narrowly rejected a recall of Mayor Anthony R. Suarez on Tuesday, more than a year after federal prosecutors charged him with taking a $10,000 bribe from a government informant posing as a corrupt real estate developer.... By the city clerk’s unofficial count, Mr. Suarez survived by 38 votes out of more than 2,000 cast."</ref> He was acquitted on all charges in October 2010.<ref>Ryan, Joe. [https://www.nj.com/news/2010/10/ridgefield_mayor_anthony_suare_2.html "Ridgefield Mayor Anthony Suarez found not guilty on federal corruption charges"], ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'', October 28, 2010, updated April 1, 2019. Accessed October 6, 2019. "When the mayor of Ridgefield was acquitted of conspiracy, bribery and extortion charges, a decade-long string of corruption wins for federal prosecutors in New Jersey came to end. It has been one of the proudest statistics in New Jersey law enforcement, encompassing disgraced public servants high and low, from building inspectors to powerbrokers, including former Newark Mayor Sharpe James and ex-State Senate President John Lynch."</ref>