Editing Woodland Park, New Jersey (section)

===Local government===
The Borough of Woodland Park was chartered by the State of New Jersey to function under the [[Faulkner Act]] (formally known as the Option Municipal Charter Law) within the [[Faulkner Act (small municipality)|Small Municipality]] form of government (Plan C), implemented by direct petition as of January 1, 1967.<ref>[http://www.dudley-2010.com/Faulkner%20Act%2046pages.pdf "The Faulkner Act: New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law"], [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], July 2007. Accessed November 13, 2013.</ref> The borough is one of 18 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government.<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 borough council, with all positions elected [[at-large]] on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected [[direct election|directly]] by the voters to a three-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with elections take place in a three-year cycle, with the mayor elected one year and three council seats up for election in the second and third years in the 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. 148</ref> A government reorganization takes place on January 1 of every year, at which time a mayor-elect or newly elected council members are sworn in.<ref>[http://www.wpnj.us/content/165/default.aspx Mayor and Council], Borough of Woodland Park. Accessed March 12, 2020. "The Borough of Woodland Park was chartered by the State of New Jersey to function under a variation of the Faulkner Act, Small Municipality Plan of the Optional Municipal Charter Law form of government. The Mayor and six Council members serve staggered terms. A partisan municipal election is held every year in November. One year the voters choose a new mayor. The next year three council members must be chosen. Then in the third year the other three council members are elected. A government reorganization takes place at the first meeting in January of every year, at which time a mayor-elect or newly elected council members are sworn in."</ref>

{{As of|2023}}, the [[Mayor]] of Woodland Park is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Keith Kazmark, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023.<ref>[http://www.wpnj.us/content/165/319/default.aspx Office of the Mayor], Borough of Woodland Park. Accessed July 20, 2020.</ref> Members of the Woodland Park Borough Council are Michael Sica (D, 2025), Vincent Bennett DeCesare (D, 2024), Tina Gatti (D, 2024), Christine Tiseo (D, 2025), Tracy Kallert (D, 2024), and Sam Yodice, Jr. (D, 2025).<ref name=MayorCouncil>[http://www.wpnj.us/content/165/2406/default.aspx Governing Body], Borough of Woodland Park. Accessed July 20, 2020.</ref><ref>[http://www.wpnj.us/filestorage/485/528/532/Woodland-Park-2022.pdf#page=11 2022 Municipal Data Sheet], Borough of Woodland Park. Accessed July 20, 2020.</ref><ref name=PassaicDirectory>[https://www.passaiccountynj.org/home/showpublisheddocument/1938/637667926512370000#page=75 ''Passaic County 2021 Directory''], [[Passaic County, New Jersey]], updated as of April 2021. Accessed July 1, 2022.</ref><ref name="Template2021">[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Passaic/111517/web.278093/#/summary 2021 General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results], Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 18, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name="Template2020">[https://www.passaiccountynj.org/home/showpublisheddocument/3378/637678115691870000 November 3, 2020 Summary Report Official Results], Passaic County, New Jersey, updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref><ref name=Passaic2019>[https://www.passaiccountynj.org/home/showpublisheddocument/3366/637678115112970000 2019 General Election November 5, 2019 Summary Report Passaic County Official Results], [[Passaic County, New Jersey]], updated November 18, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref>

In May 2022, the borough council selected Adam Chaabane from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Joseph Spinelli who resigned after serving more two decades in office.<ref>[https://www.tapinto.net/towns/passaic-valley/articles/woodland-park-councilman-joe-spinelli-saluted-after-serving-the-borough-for-21-years-4 "Woodland Park Councilman Joe Spinelli Saluted After Serving The Borough For 21 years"], TAP into Passaic Valley, May 6, 2022. "The Borough said 'thank you' on May 4 to a legend, an icon, and an institution in West Paterson/Woodland Park as Council President Joseph Spinelli stepped down from the dais....The Borough Council, after considering three candidates from the Woodland Park Democratic Committee, selected Adam Chaabane to finish out Spinelli’s term, which ends on Dec. 31."</ref>

In 2012, Borough resident Matthew La Corte was fined for his planting of a political lawn sign. After nationwide backlash towards the borough and a series of court hearings, the borough agreed to drop the case and waive the nearly $24,000 in fines that had accumulated at $100 per day for each day the signs were up.<ref>Kadosh, Matthew. [http://www.northjersey.com/news/freedom-of-expression-prevails-in-sign-case-1.452633 "Freedom of expression prevails in Woodland Park lawn sign case"], ''Passaic Valley Today'', April 5, 2012. Accessed January 28, 2015. "A municipal prosecutor has agreed to dismiss charges against a borough man who violated an ordinance by placing lawn signs on his father's Lackawanna Avenue property outside of the election season. Matthew La Corte, 19, had displayed two Ron Paul lawn signs on his father's property starting in June of last year, and when informed that he was violating borough ordinance, refused to take them down."</ref>