Editing Rumson, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
{{Further|List of mayors of Rumson, New Jersey}}
[[Image:Rumson boroughhall.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Rumson Borough Hall]]
Rumson 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. 58.</ref> The borough form of government used by Rumson 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. [https://www.njlm.org/809/3982/Forms-of-Govt-Magazine-Article "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask"], [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], March 2007. Accessed January 1, 2025.</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|2025}}, the [[List of mayors of Rumson, New Jersey|Mayor of Rumson]] is [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Joseph K. Hemphill, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2027. Members of the Borough Council are Council President John J. Conklin III (R, 2027), Gary Casazza (R, 2023), James Clayton Kingsbery (R, 2025), Michael F. Lospinuso (R, 2025), Sarah Pomphrey (R, 2027) and Linda J. Smith (R, 2026).<ref name=MayorCouncil>[https://www.rumsonnj.gov/council Mayor and Council], Borough of Rumson. Accessed February 3, 2025. "The borough form of government was created in 1878 and modified by the Borough Act of 1987. There are approximately 218 municipalities using the borough form of government, which is supervised by The Mayor and six council members, all of whom are elected at large.... The Governing Body of the Borough of Rumson is made up by the Mayor and Council who are elected by the residents. The Mayor has a four-year term and the Council members have three-year terms."</ref><ref>[https://www.rumsonnj.gov/_files/ugd/9497f2_e1e3701666104e0c8eaabcf7882bcb73.pdf#page=14 2024 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Rumson. Accessed December 13, 2024.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2024>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/122857/web.345435/#/summary November 5, 2024 General Election Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]], updated December 16, 2024. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2023>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/119047/web.317647/#/summary November 8, 2023 General Election Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]], updated January 18, 2024. Accessed January 22, 2024.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2022>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/116246/web.307039/#/summary General Election November 8, 2022 Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated December 27, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref>

In January 2022, the borough council selected Michael F. Lospinuso from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Laura R. Atwell until she resigned from office the previous December.<ref>[https://www.rumsonnj.gov/newannouncements/2022-Lospinuso-Joins-Council.html Dr. Michael Lospinuso Joins Rumson Borough Council], Borough of Rumson. Accessed April 19, 2022. "Dr. Michael F. Lospinuso, became the newest member of the Rumson Borough Council during the February 8, 2022 Borough Council meeting.... Following Councilwoman Laura Atwell's resignation from Borough Council at the end of 2021, the Rumson Republican Committee nominated three residents as candidates to fill the vacant position. At the start of the January 18, 2022 Borough Council meeting, the Mayor and Council met in closed session to discuss the candidates. They unanimously decided that Dr. Lospinuso would be selected to finish out Councilwoman Atwell's unexpired term."</ref>

Councilmember Frank E. Shanley submitted a letter of resignation that took effect as of December 31, 2014, and was replaced in January 2015 by John J. Conklin III, who was selected by the borough council from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee.<ref>[http://www.rumsonnj.gov/downloads/minutes/CouncilDec1614Minutes.pdf Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Borough Council of the Borough of Rumson December 16, 2014], Borough of Rumson. Accessed July 23, 2015. "The Municipal Clerk/Administrator read the following letter from Councilman Frank E. Shanley advising of his resignation as Councilman effective December 31, 2014:"</ref><ref>[http://www.rumsonnj.gov/downloads/minutes/CouncilJan1315Minutes.pdf Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Borough Council of the Borough of Rumson January 13, 2015], Borough of Rumson. Accessed July 23, 2015. "Councilman Rubin moved to appoint John J. Conklin III as a member of the Borough Council to fill the unexpired term effective January 13, 2015, term to expire December 31, 2015. Motion seconded by Councilman Day and carried on the following roll call vote."</ref>

In 2018, the borough had an average property tax bill of $20,602, the highest in the county, compared to an average bill of $8,767 statewide.<ref name=NJ2019>Marcus, Samantha. [https://www.nj.com/politics/2019/04/these-are-the-towns-with-the-highest-property-taxes-in-each-of-njs-21-counties.html "These are the towns with the highest property taxes in each of N.J.’s 21 counties"], NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], April 22, 2019. Accessed November 5, 2019. "The average property tax bill in New Jersey was $8,767 last year. But there can be big swings from town to town and county to county.... The average property tax bill in Rumson Borough was $20,602 in 2018, the highest in Monmouth County."</ref>