Editing Emerson, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Emerson 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 the mayor and the 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. 165.</ref><ref>[https://www.emersonnj.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={105A07BE-2DF7-4088-92BE-B6E259BA8AEA} Your Governing Body], Borough of Emerson. Accessed March 24, 2020.</ref> The borough form of government used in Emerson 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><ref>[https://www.emersonnj.org/index.asp?SEC=29FEA4B7-99CF-4A95-AD55-35A253023C1D Frequently Asked Questions], Borough of Emerson. Accessed March 13, 2023. "How is the government organized in Emerson and when do they meet? Emerson is organized under the "borough" form which is also referred to as the 'weak' Mayor form since the Mayor can only vote to break a tie and has no veto power. The Mayor is elected for a four-year term at the November General Election, presides over the bi-monthly Council meetings, and sits on the Planning Board as the Class I member by virtue of his office..... The Council Members are elected for staggered three-year terms and vote on matters such as local laws, the adoption of the municipal budget, and the raising of taxes."</ref>

{{As of|2024}}, the [[mayor]] of Emerson Borough is [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Danielle DiPaola, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026. Members of the Emerson Borough Council are Council President Michael Timmerman (R, 2026), Nicole Argenzia (R, 2025), Brian Gordon (R, 2024), Jill McGuire (R, 2025), Kelly Moore (R, 2024) and Ashley M. Rice (R, 2026).<ref name=MayorCouncil>[https://www.emersonnj.org/index.asp?SEC=ED7CA23A-09DE-4024-8A9C-82E8D9310B1A Mayor & Council], Borough of Emerson. Accessed April 26, 2024. "The Borough of Emerson was chartered in 1903 as a Borough Council form of government in which the Mayor is elected to a four-year term and six council members are elected at large to serve staggered three-year terms."</ref><ref>[https://www.emersonnj.org/vertical/sites/%7B3CE7C79E-1CDE-42D4-BE99-DEDBCE95F9A4%7D/uploads/2024_User-Friendly_Budget.pdf 2024 Municipal User Friendly Budget], Borough of Emerson. Accessed April 26, 2024.</ref><ref name=BergenCountyDirectory>[https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/images/About_Bergen_County/2024-county-directory.pdf#page=40 ''2024 County and Municipal Directory''], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], April 2024. Accessed April 15, 2024.</ref><ref name=Bergen2023>[https://www.bergencountyclerk.gov/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/District%20Canvass%20NEW.pdf Official Statement of Vote 2023 General Election - November 7, 2023 Official Results], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], November 27, 2023. Accessed January 1, 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>

In September 2021, the borough council selected Don Pierro from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held by Carl Carbo until he resigned to move out of the borough.<ref>Noda, Stephanie. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/emerson/2021/08/25/emerson-nj-councilman-carl-carbo-republican-resigns/5578336001/ "Emerson councilman resigns after seven months in office"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', August 25, 2021. Accessed May 16, 2022. "A Republican councilman has resigned after serving seven months on the Borough Council. Carl Carbo, who is moving out of town, submitted his resignation during the Aug. 17 council meeting and had his last day on Aug. 20."</ref><ref>[https://www.emersonnj.org/vertical/sites/%7B3CE7C79E-1CDE-42D4-BE99-DEDBCE95F9A4%7D/uploads/9-7-21_MIN_APPROVED_9-21-21.pdf Borough Council Meeting Minutes for September 21, 2021], Borough of Emerson. Accessed May 16, 2022. "Nominations for seat vacated by former Councilman Carl Carbo... Motion to nominate Don Pierro to fill the council vacancy for the term ending with the certification of the 2021 General Election was moved by Council President Hoffman, and seconded by Councilman Gordon... Councilman Pierro was sworn in by Mayor DiPaola."</ref>

In January 2020, the borough council selected Patricia L. Dinallo to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Christopher Knoller until he resigned from office late in 2019; with Dinallo taking office and Nicole Argenzia and Jill McGuire sworn in to full terms, Emerson's governing body had a female majority for the first time since the borough was established.<ref>Noda, Stephanie. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/emerson/2020/01/04/emerson-nj-swears-majority-female-governing-body/2806723001/ "Emerson swears in a majority-female governing body"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', January 4, 2020. Accessed March 24, 2020. "For the first time in the borough history, the governing body is majority female.... Mayor Danielle DiPaola swore in Democrat Patricia Dinallo and Republicans Nicole Argenzia and Jill McGuire to the Borough Council during the annual reorganization meeting Thursday, while noting that the move came on the 100th anniversary of the year women won the right to vote.Councilman Chris Knoller, whose term was set to end in 2020, resigned from the six-member council at the end of 2019, leading to the appointment of Patricia Dinallo, who ran as a Democratic in the 2019 election."</ref>

In January 2019, the borough council selected Jill McGuire from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that was vacated by Danielle DiPaola when she took office as the borough's first female mayor.<ref>Snyder, John. [https://thepressgroup.net/jill-mcguire-joins-emerson-borough-council/ "Jill McGuire Joins Emerson Borough Council"], ''Pascack Press'', January 21, 2019. Accessed September 29, 2019. "Saying she was moved that her new post as a borough councilmember earned her bipartisan and unanimous approval, Historic Preservation Committee Chair Jill McGuire slid into her seat at the dais, ready to get to work.... Three Republicans were nominated to fill the one-year unexpired term left by Mayor Danielle DiPaola: McGuire, Don Pierro, and Michael Timmerman."</ref>

Day-to-day operation of the borough is handled by Robert G Hermansen, who serves as borough administrator.<ref name=Administrator/> The acting borough clerk is Michelle Ryan<ref name=Clerk/> and the CFO is Lauren Roehrer.<ref>[https://www.emersonnj.org/index.asp?Type=B_DIR&SEC={96258FA7-A49D-4F0C-A8A6-D2F5EDFD513C}&DE={D9AB5BE8-8BEE-4E45-B486-473D963D6CEE} CFO/Treasurer/Tax Collector/QPA], Borough of Emerson. Accessed March 24, 2020.</ref>