Editing Metuchen, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Metuchen 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. A 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. 84.</ref> The borough form of government used by Metuchen 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=September 24, 2014 }}, [[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|2024}}, the [[mayor]] of Metuchen is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Jonathan Busch, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027; Busch took office as mayor when he was appointed in December 2017 to fill the balance of the four-year term that had been held by Peter Cammarano ending December 31, 2019, and was elected in November 2018 to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref name=Mayor>[https://www.metuchennj.org/metnj/GOVERNMENT/Mayor/ Mayor], Borough of Metuchen. Accessed May 27, 2024. "Described by ''The Metuchen Mirror'' as 'a man on a mission', Jonathan M. Busch was selected as the 36th Mayor of the Borough of Metuchen on December 18, 2017, was elected to the unexpired term on November 6, 2018, and was re-elected to a full four-year term on November 5, 2019."</ref> Members of the borough council are Council President Jason Delia (D, 2024), Joel Branch (D, 2024), Dorothy Giamboi (D, 2025), Lisa Hyman (D, 2025), Vinita Jethwani (D, 2026) and Tyler Kandel (D, 2026).<ref>[https://www.metuchennj.org/metnj/GOVERNMENT/Borough%20Council/ Metuchen Borough Council], Borough of Metuchen. Accessed May 27, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://www.metuchennj.org/metnj/GOVERNMENT/Budget%20and%20Financial%20Information/Budgets%20and%20Financial%20Statements/2023/2023%20Adopted%20Budget.pdf?1708271313#page=12 2023 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Metuchen. Accessed February 18, 2024.</ref><ref name=Middlesex2023>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Middlesex/119048/web.317647/#/summary November 7, 2023 General Election Official Results], [[Middlesex County, New Jersey]], December 7, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Middlesex2022>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Middlesex/116148/web.307039/#/summary November 8, 2022 General Election Official Results], [[Middlesex County, New Jersey]], updated November 22, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Middlesex2021>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Middlesex/110780/web.278093/#/summary General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results], [[Middlesex County, New Jersey]], updated November 19, 2021. Accessed April 13, 2022.</ref>

In January 2019, the borough council unanimously selected Daniel Hirsch from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that became vacant following the resignation of Reed Leibfried.<ref>[http://www.metuchennj.org/metnj/GOVERNMENT/Council%20Agendas%20%26%20Minutes/2019/Minutes/January%2014%2C%202019.pdf?1575583311 Borough Council Meeting Minutes for January 14, 2019], Borough of Metuchen. Accessed December 5, 2019. "Receive and Accept Resignation of Councilman Reed Leibfried – Effective Immediately... Mayor Busch asked for a discussion concerning the three candidates that has been recommended to fill the vacant council seat created by the resignation of Councilman Leibfried. Mayor Busch stated that nominations will be taken... Resolution carried, 5-0. Mayor Busch congratulated newly appointed Councilman Hirsch and asked him and his family to come forward to be sworn in by Denis Murphy, Borough Attorney."</ref> Hirsch served on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref name=Middlesex2019>[https://mcgisweb.co.middlesex.nj.us/elections/historic/results?e=2019-11-5 November 5, 2019 General Election Official Results], [[Middlesex County, New Jersey]]. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref>

In December 2017, Jonathan Busch was selected from three names submitted by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that had been held by Peter Cammarano until he resigned from office to become the chief of staff for [[Governor of New Jersey]] [[Phil Murphy]].<ref>Loyer, Susan. [http://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/politics/2017/12/19/metuchen-names-mayor-replace-cammarano/964875001/ "Metuchen names mayor to replace Cammarano"], ''[[Courier News]]'', December 19, 2017. Accessed January 27, 2018. "Borough resident Jonathan Busch was appointed by the Borough Council at Monday's meeting to fill the remainder of Peter Cammarano's term, which expires Dec. 31, 2019. Cammarano announced his plans to resign at the Dec. 4 borough council meeting, following his appointment to serve as Governor-elect Phil Murphy's chief of staff. Busch, who was sworn in at the meeting, was among three whose names were submitted by the Metuchen Democratic Organization as possible candidates for mayor."</ref>