Editing Readington Township, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
[[File:Readington Township, NJ municipal building, Nov. 2024.jpg|thumb|right|Readington Township Municipal Building]]
Readington Township 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. 103.</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. The Mayor serves as chair of the Township Committee and has the powers vested in the mayor's office by general law.<ref>[https://www.readingtontwpnj.gov/form-of-govt Local Form of Government], Readington Township, updated September 7, 2018. Accessed June 1, 2024. "Under the current township government laws, the township committee remains the backbone of the municipality's government. Voters elect, at-large, the township committee comprising of five members. The elections are partisan and the committee members serve staggered three-year terms. The Township Committee elects the mayor and deputy mayor each January from its members for a one-year term."</ref>

{{As of|2023}}, members of the Readington Township Committee are [[Mayor]] Adam Mueller ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]], term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2024), Deputy Mayor Vincent Panico (R, term on committee ends 2025; term as deputy member ends 2024), John Albanese (R, 2026), Jonathan Heller (R, 2026) and R. Juergen Huelsebusch (R, 2024).<ref name=Committee>[https://www.readingtontwpnj.gov/government/township-committee Township Committee], Readington Township. Accessed June 3, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://www.readingtontwpnj.gov/images/Finance/docs/2023-Adopted-Budget.pdf 2024 Municipal Data Sheet], Readington Township. Accessed June 3, 2024.</ref><ref name=HunterdonPage>[https://co.hunterdon.nj.us/924/Readington-Township Township of Readington], [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey]]. Accessed June 3, 2024.</ref><ref name=HunterdonDirectory>[https://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/13706/2023-County-Directory?bidId=#page=83 ''2023 County and Municipal Directory''], [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey]]. Accessed February 17, 2024.</ref><ref name=Hunterdon2023>[https://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/13515/2023-General-Election-Official-Results-PDF?bidId= 2023 Official Statement of Results General Election November 7, 2023], [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey]], November 17, 2023. Accessed February 17, 2024.</ref><ref name=Hunterdon2022>[https://co.hunterdon.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/9118/G2022-Official-SOV-PDF Hunterdon County District Canvass November 8, 2022, General Election], [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey]], updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Hunterdon2021>[https://co.hunterdon.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/6226/2021-General-Election-Official-Results-by-Municipality-PDF November 2, 2021 District Report Hunterdon County Official Results], [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey]], updated November 12, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref>

In the 2017 general election, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] John Albanese (3887 votes) and Jonathan Heller (3738 votes) prevailed against [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] challenger Alan Harwick (2027 votes) The all-Republican Committee was unanimous on the leadership roles at the 2018 reorganization meeting, choosing Benjamin Smith as mayor and Betty Ann Fort as deputy mayor.<ref>Kiriluk-Hill, Renée. [http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2015/01/betty_ann_fort_new_readington.html "Betty Ann Fort new Readington mayor in split vote at reorganization"], ''[[Hunterdon County Democrat]]'', January 6, 2015. Accessed March 12, 2015. "Betty Ann Fort was elected mayor in a split vote by her fellow Township Committee members on Jan. 5. Tom Auriemma will serve as deputy mayor.... The Township Committee remains all-Republican, but Tropella and Broten in the June primary had defeated incumbents Julia Allen and Frank Gatti, and then prevailed again in November after the incumbents launched a write-in campaign."</ref>

In December 2014, the Township Council selected M. Elizabeth Duffy from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacant seat of Beatrice Muir, who had resigned the previous month from a term of office ending in December 2015.<ref>Staff. [http://www.nj.com/hunterdon-county-democrat/index.ssf/2014/12/duffy_appointed_to_readington.html "Duffy appointed to Readington Twp. Committee to complete Muir's term"], ''[[Hunterdon County Democrat]]'', December 16, 2014. Accessed March 12, 2015. "Liz Duffy has been appointed to a seat on the Readington Township Committee.She will be completing the term of Beatrice Muir, who announced her retirement in November."</ref>