Editing Rochelle Park, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Rochelle Park is governed under the [[Township (New Jersey)|Township]] form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state.<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 Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters [[at-large]] in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election 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. 157.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=7 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 7. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.<ref name=Committee/>

{{As of|2023}}, the members of the Rochelle Park Township Committee are Acting Mayor Jen Appice ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]], term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2023), Perrin Mosca (R, 2023), Gail Artola (R, 2025), Vincent Bessetti (R, 2024) and Linda Boniface ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]], 2023).<ref name=Committee>[https://rochelleparknj.gov/township-committee/ Township Committee], Township of Rochelle Park. Accessed January 10, 2023. "The Township of Rochelle Park is organized as a Township form of municipal government as set forth under N.J.S.A. 40A:63-1 et seq. The elected officers of every Township are the members of the Township Committee, the governing body of the municipality. The Township has a five member Township Committee whose terms of office begin on January 1st following the preceding general election. Each member holds office for a term of three years.... It is during the traditional January Reorganization Meeting that the members of the governing body elect one of their number as Chairman of the Committee whose responsibility it is to preside at all meetings of the Township Committee and who shall be known as the Mayor of the Township."</ref><ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1J1Ys8d4Ph9ZRJXs58JeDQ_GIhV3ueEi7/view 2022 Municipal Data Sheet], Township of Rochelle Park. Accessed July 21, 2022.</ref><ref name=BergenCountyDirectory>[https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/images/About_Bergen_County/2024-county-directory.pdf#page=60 ''2024 County and Municipal Directory''], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], April 2024. Accessed April 15, 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><ref name=Bergen2020>[https://www.bergencountyclerk.org/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/NOV_2020_General_Precinct_Summary.pdf Precinct Summary Results Report - Combined 2020 Bergen County General Election - November 3, 2020 Official Results], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], December 3, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref>

In June 2023, Perrin Mosca was removed from office as mayor in a controversy based on his opposition to the township's raising of the [[rainbow flag (LGBT)|rainbow flag]]; Jen Appice was chosen to serve as mayor on an acting basis.<ref>[[David Wildstein|Wildstein, David]]. [https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/rochelle-park-tosses-mayor-gop-leader-pulls-re-election-support/ "Rochelle Park tosses mayor, GOP leader pulls re-election support; Controversy over pride flag was last straw, Republican chairman says"], ''New Jersey Globe'', June 16, 2023. Accessed June 18, 2023. "A venomous split between Republicans in Rochelle Park led to the censure and removal of Perrin Mosca as mayor on Wednesday and the withdrawal of GOP party support for his re-election campaign, after calling some elected officials 'not good Catholics' for supporting the raising of a rainbow flag during Pride Month and then threatening colleagues who disagreed with him.... The township committee voted 4-0 to pull the mayoralty from Mosca – Democrat Linda Boniface joined three Republicans; Deputy Mayor Jennifer Appice will serve as acting mayor until a vote for a new mayor can be held at the governing body’s next meeting."</ref>