Editing Highlands, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Highlands is governed by a [[Faulkner Act]], formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the [[Faulkner Act (small municipality)|Small Municipality]] (Plan C) form of New Jersey municipal government, enacted by direct petition as of January 1, 1978.<ref>[http://www.dudley-2010.com/Faulkner%20Act%2046pages.pdf "The Faulkner Act: New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012040522/http://www.dudley-2010.com/Faulkner%20Act%2046pages.pdf |date=2013-10-12 }}, [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], July 2007. Accessed September 17, 2013.</ref> The borough is one of 18 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government, which is only available to municipalities with a population below 12,000 at the time of adoption.<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 four-member [[Borough Council (New Jersey)|borough council]], who are elected on an [[at-large]] basis in [[non-partisan democracy|non-partisan]] voting to three-year terms on a staggered basis as part of the November general election, in a three-year cycle in which two council seats come up for election in each of two consecutive years followed by the mayoral seat up for vote in the third year.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 58.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=14 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 14. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref><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> This form of government was adopted in 1956.<ref>Bryson, James W. [http://www.highlandsnj.com/history/StoryOf.html The History of Highlands] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081121133429/http://www.highlandsnj.com/history/StoryOf.html |date=2008-11-21 }}, Borough of Highlands. Accessed May 21, 2008. "The present form of government, councilmanic form under the Faulkner Act, Small Municipality Plan B, came into effect in 1956."</ref> In a 2014 referendum, voters changed the format and timing of elections from partisan in November to nonpartisan in May.<ref name=TRT2014>Burton, John. [http://trtnj.com/514-highlands-voters-elect-incumbent-kane-newcomer-francy/ "Borough voters going to the polls on Tuesday elected two members to the borough council in the borough's first non-partisan election. Voters approved a referendum in November that changed the election to a non-partisan vote."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150613194843/http://trtnj.com/514-highlands-voters-elect-incumbent-kane-newcomer-francy/ |date=June 13, 2015 }}, ''The Two River Times'', May 14, 2014. Accessed June 11, 2015. 'Borough voters going to the polls on Tuesday elected two members to the borough council in the borough's first non-partisan election. Voters approved a referendum in November that changed the election to a non-partisan vote."</ref> In the November 2014 general election, voters approved a referendum shifting the borough's nonpartisan elections from May to November, with the first November nonpartisan municipal election taking place in 2015.<ref name=Monmouth2014>[http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/54229/149584/Web01/en/summary.html November 4, 2014 General Election Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]], updated November 24, 2014. Accessed July 14, 2016.</ref><ref>[http://www.highlandsnj.us/docs/Ordinance/2014/O-14-07%20An%20Ordinance%20Placing%20The%20Question%20Of%20Whether%20The%20Borough%20Regular%20Municipal%20Elections%20Currently%20Held%20On%20The%20Second%20Tuesday%20In%20May%20Shall%20Be%20Held%20On%20The%20Day%20Of%20The%20General%20Election%20The%20Tuesday%20After%20The%20First%20Monday%20In%20November%20-%20Adoption.pdf An Ordinance Placing The Question Of Whether The Borough Of Highlands Regular Municipal Elections Currently Held On The Second Tuesday In May Shall Be Held On The Day Of The General Election, The Tuesday After The First Monday In November], Borough of Highlands, June 18, 2014. Accessed November 12, 2015.</ref>

{{As of|2025}}, the mayor of the Borough of Highlands is Carolyn Broullon, whose term of office ends December 31, 2025.<ref name=Mayor>[https://highlandsborough.org/government/mayors-welcome-updates/ Mayor's Welcome Message], Borough of Highlands. Accessed January 27, 2025.</ref> Members of the Highlands Borough Council are Council President JoAnne Provenzano Olszewski (2026), Leo Cervantes (2027), Karen Chelak (2027) and Donald Melnyk (2026).<ref name=MayorCouncil>[https://highlandsborough.org/government/ Government], Borough of Highlands. Accessed January 27, 2025.</ref><ref>[https://highlandsborough.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Supporting-Doc-R-24-092-2024-Introduced-Budget-Highlands.pdf 2024 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Highlands. Accessed January 27, 2025.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2024>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/122857/web.345435/#/summary November 5, 2024 General Election Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]], updated December 16, 2024. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2023>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/119047/web.317647/#/summary November 8, 2023 General Election Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]], updated January 18, 2024. Accessed January 22, 2024.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2022>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/116246/web.307039/#/summary General Election November 8, 2022 Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated December 27, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref>