Editing Rocky Hill, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Rocky Hill 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. The mayor is elected [[direct election|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. 77.</ref> The borough form of government used by Rocky Hill is a "[[weak mayor]] / strong council" government, in which council members act as the legislative body. The mayor presides at meetings and votes 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 Rocky Hill is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Robert Uhrik, whose term of office ends December 31, 2022. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Edgar L. "Trey" Delaney (D, 2024), Susan P. Bristol ([[Independent politician|I]], 2023), Jonathan Lee (D, 2022; appointed to serve an unexpired term), Catherine Plunkett (D, 2022), Ken Rizzi (D, 2023; appointed to serve an unexpired term), Denise Varga (D, 2024).<ref name=Council>[https://www.rockyhill-nj.gov/government/council-members-and-committees Council Members and Committees], Borough of Rocky Hill. Accessed July 14, 2022.</ref><ref>[https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QVcZzrJp-niLmK_-q4BYcNYbv2bNpOpf/view 2021 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Rocky Hill. Accessed July 14, 2022.</ref><ref name=SomersetDirectory>[https://www.co.somerset.nj.us/home/showpublisheddocument/46227/638203671214730000#page=68 ''2023 Directory of County & Municipal Offices''], [[Somerset County, New Jersey]]. Accessed April 10, 2024.</ref><ref name=Somerset2021>[https://www.co.somerset.nj.us/home/showpublisheddocument/43891/637725959984900000 2021 General Election Winning Candidates], [[Somerset County, New Jersey]]. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Somerset2020>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Somerset/107161/web.264614/#/summary Somerset County General Election November 3, 2020 Final Certified Results], [[Somerset County, New Jersey]], dated December 3, 2020. Accessed January 19, 2021.</ref><ref name=Somerset2019>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Somerset/98879/Web02.235350/#/ General Election November 5, 2019 Final Results], [[Somerset County, New Jersey]], updated November 15, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=Somerset2018>[https://www.co.somerset.nj.us/Home/ShowDocument?id=31878 General Election 2018 Winners List], [[Somerset County, New Jersey]]. Accessed January 1, 2019.</ref>

In January 2022, the borough council selected Jonathan Lee from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Rasheeda Pretto until she resigned from office.<ref>Massand, Rikki. [https://www.themontynews.org/single-post/three-new-council-members-and-staff-changes-highlight-rocky-hill-s-reorganization-meeting "Three New Council Members and Staff Changes Highlight Rocky Hill’s Reorganization Meeting"], ''The Montgomery News'', January 9, 2022. Accessed July 14, 2022. "Borough council also appointed Rocky Hill beekeeper Jonathan Lee to a one-year term. Lee fills the unexpired term of Councilwoman Rasheeda Pretto, who submitted her official resignation prior to the 2022 Reorganization meeting. It is unknown why Pretto resigned."</ref>

Rasheeda Pretto was appointed to fill the borough council seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Robert Uhrik until he stepped down to take office as mayor, though she chose to run for a full three-year term rather than to run for the remainder of the term. In November 2019, Amy Kirtland won a write-in campaign to fill the balance of Uhrik's council term.<ref>Biryukov, Mikita. [https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/kirtland-wins-write-in-campaign-in-rocky-hill/ "Kirtland wins write-in campaign in Rocky Hill Councilwoman did not run for re-election"], New Jersey Globe, December 30, 2019. Accessed March 4, 2020. "Rocky Hill Councilwoman Amy Kirtland will serve the remaining year of Mayor Bob Uhrik’s term on the borough council after winning a last-minute write-in campaign. Kirtland, who received 59 of the 121 write-in votes cast in Rocky Hill, said Councilwoman Rasheeda Pretto and Councilwoman-elect Jenn Walsh convinced her to allow them to run a less-than-official write-in campaign on her behalf.... Pretto, who then held Uhrik’s Council seat, decided to seek a full term instead of running for the remainder of the mayor’s unexpired term."</ref>

At the January 2015 reorganization meeting, the borough council selected Robert Ashbaugh to fill the vacant seat expiring in December 2015 of Jeffrey Donohue, who vacated the seat when he took office as mayor.<ref>[http://www.rockyhill-nj.gov/filestorage/5639/7758/20150114180445129.pdf Minutes of the Reorganization / Regular Meeting January 1, 2015], Borough of Rocky Hill. Accessed August 20, 2015. "Mayor Donohue recommended the nomination of Robert Ashbaugh to fill the Council vacancy for the remainder of his term. Hallman moved to nominate Robert Ashbaugh to full the open Council seat with a term expiring December 31, 2015. Bremner seconded the motion, and the motion carried on a roll call vote."</ref>