Editing Mantoloking, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Mantoloking is governed under the [[Borough (New Jersey)|borough]] form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 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. The 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. 53.</ref> The borough form of government used by Mantoloking 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|2022}}, the [[mayor]] of Mantoloking is [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] E. Laurence "Lance" White III, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2022. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Lynn O'Mealia (R, 2022), Anthony M. Amarante (R, 2023), F. Bradford Batcha (R, 2024), Barbara Hood Benz (R, 2022), John Conti ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]], 2024) and Douglas Nelson (R, 2023) -- D'Arcy Green (R, 2022).<ref name=Roster>[https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.mantoloking.org%2Fsites%2Fg%2Ffiles%2Fvyhlif6076%2Ff%2Fuploads%2F2022_mayor_and_council_roster.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK Mayor and Council Roster], Borough of Mantoloking. Accessed August 3, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://www.mantoloking.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif6076/f/uploads/2022_adopted_budget.pdf 2022 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Mantoloking. Accessed August 3, 2022.</ref><ref name=OceanProfile>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=224 Borough of Mantoloking], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]]. Accessed August 3, 2022.</ref><ref name=OceanOfficials>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/WebContentFiles/70fc90f8-5e4e-4454-a3c1-8ca3d0911f87.pdf ''2022 Ocean County & Municipal Elected Officials''], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated April 1, 2022. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Ocean2021>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/WebContentFiles/07aecb2a-f6ce-4ef4-a6c3-7b7546fc9e3f.pdf 2021 General Election Official Results], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]]. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Ocean2020>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Ocean/106715/web.264614/#/summary 2020 General Election November 3, 2020 Official results], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]], updated December 2, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref><ref name=Ocean2019>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Ocean/98863/web/#/summary 2019 General Election Official Results November 5, 2019], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated November 15, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=Ocean2018>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Ocean/92666/Web02.213202/#/ 2018 General Election Official Results November 6, 2018], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated November 19, 2018. Accessed January 1, 2019.</ref>

The borough council appointed Barbara Benz in January 2021 to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that was vacated by D’Arcy Green.<ref>Springsteen, Tyler. [https://web.archive.org/web/20210130151126/https://starnewsgroup.com/2021/01/29/councilwoman-barbara-benz-ready-to-serve-community/ "Councilwoman Barbara Benz ready to serve community"], ''The Ocean Star'', January 29, 2021, backed up by the [[Internet Archive]] as of January 30, 2021. Accessed August 3, 2022. "Barbara Benz was appointed to a vacant seat on the Mantoloking Borough Council during its virtual meeting on Jan. 19. Councilwoman Benz will replace Councilwoman D’Arcy Green, who resigned from her seat on the council due to a medical situation, according to Mayor Lance White."</ref> Benz served on an interim basis until the November 2021 general election when she was elected to serve the remainder of the term of office.<ref name=Ocean2021/>

In December 2018, Donald Ness was selected by the borough council to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that became vacant following the resignation of Lynn O'Mealia earlier that month.<ref>[http://www.mantoloking.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Minutes-Regular-Business-Meeting-12-18-18.pdf Meeting Minutes for December 18, 2018], Borough of Mantoloking. Accessed August 14, 2019. "Whereas, Lynn O'Mealia resigned from the position of Councilwoman for the Borough of Mantoloking, effective December 3, 2018, leaving a vacant seat on Borough Council... That Donald Ness is hereby appointed to the vacant seat on Borough Council... That Donald Ness shall hold office for the unexpired term of Lynn O'Mealia expiring December 31, 2019..."</ref>

In 2018, the borough had an average property tax bill of $17,762, the highest in the county, compared to an average bill of $8,767 statewide.<ref>Marcus, Samantha. [https://www.nj.com/politics/2019/04/these-are-the-towns-with-the-highest-property-taxes-in-each-of-njs-21-counties.html "These are the towns with the highest property taxes in each of N.J.’s 21 counties"], NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], April 22, 2019. Accessed November 5, 2019. "The average property tax bill in New Jersey was $8,767 last year. But there can be big swings from town to town and county to county.... The average property tax bill in Mantoloking Borough was $17,762 in 2018, the highest in Ocean County."</ref>