Editing Stafford Township, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Stafford Township is governed within the [[Faulkner Act]], formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the [[Faulkner Act (small municipality)|Small Municipality]] form of New Jersey municipal government. The township is one of 18 (of the 564) municipalities statewide that use this form of government, which is only available to municipalities with fewer than 12,000 residents 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><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> The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the six-member Township Council. The Mayor and Council members are elected to three-year terms on a concurrent basis in partisan elections. The mayor can vote on all issues. The seven-member governing body is empowered to enact local ordinances, levy municipal taxes and conduct the community's affairs.<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://web.archive.org/web/20100202024341/http://twp.stafford.nj.us/government/index.php Stafford Township Form Of Government], Stafford Township, backed up by the [[Internet Archive]] as of February 2, 2010. Accessed January 2, 2013.</ref> In a November 2010 referendum, voters approved a change to shift from nonpartisan elections held in May to partisan elections held as part of the November general election, with costs savings from the shift cited as the primary justification for the move.<ref>Lala, Elisa. [http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/breaking/stafford-township-voters-approve-moving-municipal-elections-to-november/article_ba292cc8-e6fa-11df-973e-001cc4c03286.html?mode=jqm "Stafford Township voters approve moving municipal elections to November"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', November 3, 2010. Accessed October 27, 2014. "Township residents voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to move annual nonpartisan elections from May to November.... Officials argued that moving the elections to the fall would save the township $50,000."</ref>

{{As of|2024}}, the mayor of Stafford Township is [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Robert E. Henken, who was appointed to serve an unexpired term of office ending December 31, 2024. Members of the Stafford Township Council are Council President Lisa D. Mower, Steven Esposito, Paul Krier, Owen LaRocca (appointed to serve an unexpired term), Amy Otte and Thomas N. Steadman; all are Republicans and all are serving terms which end concurrently in 2024.<ref name=MayorCouncil>[https://www.staffordnj.gov/453/Mayor-and-Council Mayor & Council], Stafford Township. Accessed August 21, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://www.staffordnj.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6630/Stafford-Township-2024-Adopted-Municipal-Budget?bidId= 2024 Municipal Data Sheet], Stafford Township. Accessed August 21, 2024.</ref><ref name=OceanProfile>[https://www.co.ocean.nj.us/frmGovDirPage.aspx?ID=235 Township of Stafford], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]]. Accessed August 21, 2024.</ref><ref name=OceanOfficials>[https://co.ocean.nj.us/WebContentFiles/70fc90f8-5e4e-4454-a3c1-8ca3d0911f87.pdf ''2024 Ocean County & Municipal Elected Officials''], [[Ocean County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated August 19, 2024. Accessed August 21, 2024.</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>

After [[Greg Myhre]] stepped down from office to take a seat in the [[New Jersey General Assembly]] in January 2024, councilmember Robert Henken was appointed to fill his seat as mayor; in turn, Owen LaRocca was appointed to fill Henken's vacant council seat.<ref>Sharkey, Pat. [https://www.tapinto.net/towns/stafford-slash-lbi/sections/government/articles/owen-larocca-sworn-in-to-serve-on-stafford-township-council "Owen LaRocca Sworn In to Serve on Stafford Township Council"], [[TAPinto]] Stafford / LBI, February 23, 2024. Accessed August 21, 2024. "Mayor Henken and the Township Council, along with Assemblyman Myhre, welcomed Owen LaRocca as the newest member of the Township Council during last week's Township Council meeting. LaRocca fills the opening left after the resignation of Greg Myhre and the appointment of Robert Henken as Mayor."</ref>

In November 2022, Steven Esposito was elected to fill a vacant council seat.<ref>Sharkey, Pat. [https://www.tapinto.net/towns/stafford-slash-lbi/sections/government/articles/steven-esposito-sworn-in-as-new-stafford-councilman-at-tuesday-night-council-meeting "Steven Esposito Sworn In as New Stafford Councilman at Tuesday Night Council Meeting"], [[TAPinto]] Stafford /LBI, November 22, 2022. Accessed August 21, 2024. "Republican Steven Esposito was sworn into Stafford Township Council by Mayor Greg Myhre on Tuesday evening to fill a two-year term."</ref> Thomas Bresnahanhad been appointed the previous August to fill the seat after Anthony Guariglia had resigned.<ref>Flesher, Thomas. [https://patch.com/new-jersey/barnegat-manahawkin/new-stafford-council-member-sworn "New Stafford Council Member Sworn In"], Barnegat-Manahawkin, NJ [[PatchMedia|Patch]], August 4, 2022.Accessed August 21, 2024. "A new council member was sworn in to the Stafford Township Council on Aug. 1. The council unanimously approved Thomas Bresnahan's appointment to the council in a special meeting. Bresnahan was appointed to fill a vacancy left by the resignation of Councilman Dr. Anthony Guariglia, who resigned last month."</ref>