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===Local government=== Clayton is governed under the [[Borough (New Jersey)|borough]] form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 of New Jersey's 564 municipalities, making it the state's most common 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 a mayor and a borough council with all positions elected [[at-large]] on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected 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. 19.</ref> The borough form of government used by Clayton 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. [https://www.njlm.org/809/3982/Forms-of-Govt-Magazine-Article "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask"], [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], March 2007. Accessed January 1, 2025.</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><ref>[http://claytonnj.com/public/town-government/ Government] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826114929/http://claytonnj.com/public/town-government/ |date=August 26, 2014 }}, Borough of Clayton. Accessed July 5, 2016.</ref> In March 2019, the borough council selected Christina Moorhouse from three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat vacated by Vonzora Jackson's resignation.<ref>Staff. [https://issuu.com/clayton.front.page/docs/clayton_free_press_-_final_-_march__dbe7a9837fa9eb "New Council & School Board Members Installed; With Resignations Come New Appointments"], ''Clayton Free Press'', March 2019. Accessed November 7, 2019. "On Clayton Borough Council, with the resignation of Vonzora (Vonnie) Jackson, Christina Moorhouse was selected from a list of three people recommended to Council by the Clayton Democratic Party."</ref> {{As of|2024}}, the mayor is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Thomas Bianco, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2027. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Tony Saban (D, 2025), Dave Chapes (D, 2027), Christina Moorhouse (D, 2025), Frank Rollo (D, 2027), Charles Simon (D, 2026) and Darlene Vondran (D, 2026).<ref name=MayorCouncil>[https://www.claytonnj.com/mayor-council Mayor & Council], Borough of Clayton. Accessed January 23, 2025.</ref><ref>[https://www.claytonnj.com/sites/g/files/vyhlif4281/f/uploads/adopted_budget_for_website_legal.pdf 2024 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Clayton. Accessed January 23, 2025.</ref><ref name=GloucesterDirectory>[https://www.gloucestercountynj.gov/DocumentCenter/View/7330/2024-Directory?bidId= ''Gloucester County 2024 Official Directory''], [[Gloucester County, New Jersey]]. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref><ref name=Gloucester2024>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Gloucester/122580/web.345435/#/summary General Election November 5, 2024 Unofficial Results], [[Gloucester County, New Jersey]], updated November 18, 2024. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref><ref name=Gloucester2023>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Gloucester/118787/web.317647/#/summary General Election November 7, 2023 Unofficial Results], [[Gloucester County, New Jersey]], November 20, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Gloucester2022>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Gloucester/115746/web.307039/#/summary General Election November 8, 2022 Summary Report Unofficial Results], [[Gloucester County, New Jersey]] Clerk, November 12, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref> Clayton describes itself in its motto as "a great place to live and play, work and pray." The seal, which has been used since the late 1960s, features an image of a factory, a house, a figure fishing off a boat, and with a church with a cross, which was challenged by the [[Freedom From Religion Foundation]] in March 2016 as "unmistakably religious" and unconstitutional.<ref>Polhamus, Andy. [http://www.nj.com/gloucester-county/index.ssf/2016/04/nj_borough_faces_off_with_atheist_group_over_town.html#incart_2box_nj-homepage-featured "Is this N.J. town's seal too religious? An atheist group thinks so"], [[NJ.com]], April 4, 2016. Accessed April 4, 2016. "A national atheist group is asking the borough to change both its town motto and official seal, saying that both are 'unmistakably religious' and unconstitutional. Clayton's motto describes the town as 'a great place to live and play, work and pray.' The seal, meanwhile features an image of a church emblazoned with a cross as well as a factory, a house and a figure fishing from a boat."</ref><ref>Editorial Board. [http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/04/claytons_cross_seal_doesn.html#incart_river_home "N.J. town's 'cross' seal does not offend - Editorial"], ''[[South Jersey Times]]'', April 4, 2016. Accessed April 5, 2016. "The church building, with a cross within, is one of five stylized elements in the seal. Others include an industrial building and a person fishing from a boat."</ref>
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