Editing Mountain Lakes, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
[[File:Mountain Lakes, NJ municipal building, Nov. 2024.jpg|thumb|right|Mountain Lakes Municipal Building]]
Mountain Lakes operates within the [[Faulkner Act]], formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the [[Faulkner Act (council–manager)|Council-Manager]] form of municipal government (Plan E), implemented based on the recommendations of a [[Charter Study Commission]] as of January 1, 1975.<ref>[http://www.dudley-2010.com/Faulkner%20Act%2046pages.pdf "The Faulkner Act: New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law"], [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], July 2007. Accessed October 24, 2013.</ref> The borough is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this 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 Borough Council is comprised of seven members, who are elected [[at-large]] for staggered four-year terms of office on a partisan basis, with either three or four seats coming up for vote as part of the November general election in even-numbered years. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are chosen by the members of the Council from among its members at a reorganization meeting held each year during the first week in January.<ref name=Council/><ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 116.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=12 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 12. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref>

{{As of|2025}}, members of the Mountain Lakes Borough Council are [[Mayor]] Lauren Barnett (D, term on committee ends December 31, 2028; term as mayor ends December 31, 2025), [[Deputy mayor|Deputy Mayor]] Melissa Muilenburg (D, term on committee ends December 31, 2026; term as deputy mayor ends December 31, 2025), Chris Cannon (D, 2026), Joshua Howley (D, 2028), Thomas Menard (D, 2026), Khizar Sheikh (D, 2028), and Angela Tsai (D, 2028).<ref name=Council>[https://mtnlakes.org/mtn-lakes-borough-council/ Borough Council], Borough of Mountain Lakes. Accessed April 26, 2023. "The Borough Council of the Borough of Mountain Lakes consists of 7 elected officials. Council Members are elected for 4 year terms from the population at large. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor are chosen from within the Council by the Council at the Reorganization meeting the first week in January."</ref>