Editing Upper Saddle River, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
Upper Saddle River 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 a mayor and a borough council, with all positions elected [[at-large]]. 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]], April 2006, p. 163.</ref> The borough form of government used by Upper Saddle River 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|2024}}, the mayor is [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Arman Fardanesh, who is a term expiring December 31, 2027. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Jonathan W. Ditkoff (R, 2025), Sarah Drennan (R, 2025), Joanne Florio (R, 2024), Donna A. Friedlander (R, 2026), Richard Lyons (R, 2024; elected to serve an unexpired term) and Roger Masi (R, 2026).<ref name=Borough>[https://www.usrtoday.org/185/Mayor-Council/ Mayor & Council], Borough of Upper Saddle River. Accessed June 9, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://www.usrtoday.org/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/72 2023 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Upper Saddle River. Accessed June 9, 2024.</ref><ref name=BergenCountyDirectory>[https://www.co.bergen.nj.us/images/About_Bergen_County/2024-county-directory.pdf#page=65 ''2024 County and Municipal Directory''], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], April 2024. Accessed April 15, 2024.</ref><ref name=Bergen2023>[https://www.bergencountyclerk.gov/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/District%20Canvass%20NEW.pdf Official Statement of Vote 2023 General Election - November 7, 2023 Official Results], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], November 27, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Bergen2022>[https://www.bergencountyclerk.org/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/Certified%20Statement%20of%20Vote%20Book%2011-21-22.pdf Bergen County November 8, 2022 General Election Statement of Vote], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Bergen2021>[https://www.bergencountyclerk.org/_Content/pdf/ElectionResult/Statement%20of%20Vote%2011-17-21(1).pdf Bergen County Statement of Vote November 2, 2021 Official results], [[Bergen County, New Jersey]], updated November 17, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref>

Mayor Joanne Minichetti resigned from office in October 2022 over issues related to the construction of a sports facility in the borough.<ref>Stoltz, Marsha A. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/upper-saddle-river/2022/10/18/joanne-minichetti-resignation-upper-saddle-river-nj-acting-mayor-jonathan-ditkoff/69571200007/ "Upper Saddle River names acting mayor after Minichetti resigns"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', October 18, 2022. Accessed January 2, 2023."Council President Jonathan Ditkoff has been named acting mayor after the resignation of Mayor Joanne Minichetti on Monday. Minichetti resigned citing unexpected complications in the Lake Street sports complex development and her need to spend more time with her 'growing family.'"</ref> Councilmember Arman Fardanesh was appointed in November to fill Minichetti's vacant seat expiring in December 2023.<ref>Stoltz, Marsha A. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/upper-saddle-river/2022/11/07/upper-saddle-river-nj-mayor-arman-fardanesh-continuing-public-service/69625950007/ "Upper Saddle River's new mayor is continuing a lifetime of public service in the borough"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', November 7, 2022. Accessed March 16, 2023. "The borough's new mayor is Arman Fardanesh, a 33-year-old councilman and fire chief, Republican municipal Chair Ken Gabbert said Monday. Fardanesh succeeds Joanne Minichetti, who resigned the position on Oct. 17 citing complications with the Lake Street sports complex and personal family demands. Fardanesh will be sworn in later this week, Gabbert said."</ref> In December, Richard Lyons was appointed to Fardanesh's vacant council seat expiring in December 2024.<ref>[https://uppersaddlerivernews.com/news-report-usr-mayor-council-special-meeting-of-december-7-2022/ "NEWS REPORT: USR Mayor & Council Special Meeting of December 7, 2022"], Upper Saddle River News, December 16, 2022. "At a special meeting of the Upper Saddle River Mayor & Council held on December 7, 2022, Mr. Richard Lyons was appointed as council member to fill the seat previously held by council member Arman Fardanesh, who was recently appointed mayor of the borough. The Upper Saddle River Republican Municipal Committee, by NJ Statute, was tasked with seeking and submitting three names to the council, which, in turn, interviewed the candidates."</ref>

In July 2021, the borough council appointed Sarah Drennan to occupy the seat expiring in December 2022 that became vacant following the resignation of Douglas Rotella.<ref>[https://1axils2q1q6t21u6mi1jln35-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/July-1-2021-Regular-Minutes.pdf Mayor and Borough Council Meeting Minutes for July 1, 2021], Borough of Upper Saddle River. Accessed August 2, 2022. "Appointment of Sarah Drennan as Council Member to fill vacancy of Douglas Rotella... Council Member Drennan was sworn in at this time by Mayor Minichetti."</ref> In the November 2021 general election, Drennan was elected to serve the remainder of the term of office.<ref name=Bergen2021/>

In March 2019, the borough council selected Douglas Rotella from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that had been held by Thomas H. Hafner until he resigned from office the previous month.<ref>Stoltz, Marsha A. [https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/bergen/upper-saddle-river/2019/03/26/upper-saddle-river-appoints-douglas-rotella-new-council-member/3276286002/ "Upper Saddle River appoints Douglas Rotella as new council member"], ''[[The Record (North Jersey)|The Record]]'', March 26, 2019. Accessed October 9, 2019. "The Borough Council has appointed Douglas Rotella to succeed Councilman Thomas Hafner, who resigned in February, toward the end of his third term in office. Rotella, who will be sworn in at the council's next meeting on April 4, will serve through the end of 2019."</ref>