Editing Old Bridge Township, New Jersey (section)

=== Local government ===
Old Bridge Township is governed within the [[Faulkner Act]], formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the [[Faulkner Act (mayor–council)|Mayor-Council]] system of municipal government.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 67.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=10 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604040836/https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=10 |date=June 4, 2023 }}, p. 10. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form.<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''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601184216/https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/inventory_of_municipal_forms_of_government_in_new_jersey.pdf |date=June 1, 2023 }}, [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The Township Council is comprised of nine members, with six elected to represent [[Ward (United States)|wards]] and three elected [[at-large]] from the township as a whole in partisan elections held as part of the November general election in odd-numbered years. All elected officials serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with the six ward seats up for election together and the three at-large seats and the mayoral seat up for vote together two years later.<ref>[https://www.oldbridge.com/page/the-councils-role-in-government The Council's Role in Government] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523224608/https://www.oldbridge.com/page/the-councils-role-in-government |date=May 23, 2022 }}, Old Bridge Township. Accessed May 23, 2022. "The Township Council consists of nine members, all elected from a combination of wards and at-large, serving staggered terms of office. In Old Bridge, there are six ward council members and three at-large members."</ref><ref>[https://www.oldbridge.com/page/government Form of Government] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523224425/https://www.oldbridge.com/page/government |date=May 23, 2022 }}, Old Bridge Township. Accessed May 23, 2022.</ref>

{{As of|2024}}, the [[Mayor]] of Old Bridge Township is [[Republican Party (New Jersey)|Republican]] Eleanor "Debbie" Walker, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027.<ref name=Mayor>[https://www.oldbridge.com/page/mayor Mayor Owen Henry] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523224422/https://www.oldbridge.com/page/mayor |date=May 23, 2022 }}, Old Bridge Township. Accessed May 23, 2022.</ref> The members of the Township Council are Council President Mary Rita Sohor (R, 2027; At Large), Council Vice-President Anita Greenberg-Belli (R, 2027; At-Large), Darin Accettulli (R, 2025; Ward 2 - appointed to serve an unexpired term), Jill DeCaro ([[Democratic Party (New Jersey)|D]], 2025; Ward 4), Erik DePalma (R, 2027; At Large), Kiran Desai (D, 2025; Ward 3), Kevin J. Garcia (R, 2025; Ward 1), John E. Murphy III (R, 2025; Ward 6), Anthony Paskitti (R, 2025; Ward 5).<ref>[https://www.oldbridge.com/page/government Government], Old Bridge Township. Accessed April 21, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1690/Old_Bridge_Township/4167337/2024_Adopted_Budget.pdf 2024 Municipal Data Sheet], Old Bridge Township. Accessed April 21, 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=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>

Darin Accettulli was appointed to fill the Wars 2 seat expiring in December 2025 that had been held by Erik DePalma, until he took office as an at-large councilmember. Accettulli will serve on an interim basis until the November 2024 general election, when voters will choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref>Loyer, Susan. [https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/middlesex-county/2024/01/27/old-bridge-township-council/72324867007/ "Meet the newest member of the Old Bridge Township Council"], ''[[Courier News]]'', January 27, 2024. Accessed April 21, 2024. "The township has welcomed its newest council member, Darin Accettulli. Accettulli, a Republican, was appointed Jan. 16 to temporarily fill the Ward 2 seat. Councilmembers Jill DeCaro and John E. Murphy III abstained from the vote.... The seat was vacated by GOP Councilmember Erik DePalma, who was elected in November to the At-Large seat. Accettulli’s term will run until Dec. 31, 2025."</ref>

Republican Mark Razzoli had been behind Democrat Jill DeCaro by 11 votes at the November 2021 general election for the seat in Ward 4. In December 2021, the results were invalidated after it was confirmed that dozens of residents had received incorrect ballots that had voters casting ballots in the incorrect ward.<ref>[[David Wildstein|Wildstein, David]]. [https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/middlesex/judge-overturns-old-bridge-election/ "Judge overturns Old Bridge election; Do-over election ordered after some residents received the wrong ballots"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523224422/https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/middlesex/judge-overturns-old-bridge-election/ |date=May 23, 2022 }}, New Jersey Globe, December 29, 2021. Accessed May 23, 2022. "A Superior Court judge has invalidated the results of an Old Bridge Township Council election after finding that some voters received the wrong ballots and has ordered a special election to fill the seat. Democrat Jill DeCaro defeated GOP Councilman Mark Razzoli in the November general election by 11 votes in Old Bridge’s Ward 4. Judge Thomas Daniel McCloskey determined that election officials didn’t properly follow boundaries set in the 2011 ward redistricting map put voters from the odd numbered homes on one side of Cymbeline Drive in Ward 2, and the even numbered homes on the opposite side of Cymbeline Drive residing in the Ward 4."</ref> In a March 2022 special election, DeCaro was elected over Razzoli by an 838 to 693 margin.<ref>[[David Wildstein|Wildstein, David]]. [https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/democrat-jill-decaro-wins-special-election-in-old-bridge/ "Democrat Jill DeCaro wins special election in Old Bridge Middlesex Dems stop GOP trend in early local special elections"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220528172815/https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/democrat-jill-decaro-wins-special-election-in-old-bridge/ |date=May 28, 2022 }}, New Jersey Globe, March 22, 2022. Accessed May 23, 2022. "School board member Jill DeCaro has won a special election for Old Bridge Township Council in a Ward 4 special election, defeating Republican Mark Razzoli in a big win for New Jersey Democrats and the Middlesex County Democratic organization.... In the November 2021 election, DeCaro had unseated Razzoli, who had been the incumbent, by 11 votes, but a Superior Court Judge invalidated the election after that 27 voters received the wrong ballot and 17 of them voted."</ref><ref>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Middlesex/112320/web.285569/#/summary Results for the March 22, 2022 Old Bridge Ward 4 Special Municipal Election] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220523224422/https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Middlesex/112320/web.285569/#/summary |date=May 23, 2022 }}, [[Middlesex County, New Jersey]], updated April 4, 2022. Accessed May 23, 2022.</ref>

In January 2020, the Township Council selected Erik DePalma from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the Second Ward seat expiring in December 2021 that became vacant when Mary Sohor resigned to take office after taking office to an at-large seat.<ref>Chang, Kathy. [https://centraljersey.com/2020/01/09/old-bridge-township-council-reorganizes-with-familiar-faces-new-council-member/ "Old Bridge Township Council reorganizes with familiar faces, new council member"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200109182606/https://centraljersey.com/2020/01/09/old-bridge-township-council-reorganizes-with-familiar-faces-new-council-member/ |date=January 9, 2020 }}, CentralJersey.com, January 9, 2020. Accessed May 13, 2020. "On New Year’s Day in front of dignitaries including Donald T. DiFrancesco, former governor of New Jersey, Assemblyman Robert Clifton (R-Middlesex) and former Old Bridge Mayor Barbara Cannon, family and friends, Mayor Owen Henry was sworn in for his third, four-year term, and Councilwomen Anita Greenberg-Belli, Eleanor 'Debbie' Walker and Mary Rita Sohor were sworn in for the three, four-year term council-at-large seats inside council chambers. Sohor vacated her Ward 2 seat, which expires on Dec. 31, 2021, after she was sworn in for the council-at-large seat. The Old Bridge Republican GOP offered three names and the council selected Erik DePalma to fill her unexpired seat until the November election."</ref>

In June 2016, the Township Council appointed June Dungee to fill the vacant Third Ward seat expiring in December 2017 that had been held by Reginald Butler until his death earlier that month; Dungee served until the November 2016 general election, when voters choose a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref>Epstein, Sue. [http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2016/06/old_bridge_has_a_new_councilwoman.html "The Old Bridge council has chosen a replacement for Reginald Butler"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705195243/http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2016/06/old_bridge_has_a_new_councilwoman.html |date=July 5, 2016 }}, NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], June 28, 2016. Accessed July 13, 2016. "The council chose a replacement Monday night for long-time councilman Reginald Butler, who died earlier this month after a lengthy illness. June Dungee, 72, will represent Ward 3 until November when there will be a special election to choose someone to fill out the remaining year left on Butler's term."</ref>

The Old Bridge Municipal Court has authority over misdemeanor cases related to traffic violations, criminal offenses, and local ordinance violations that occur within Old Bridge Township.