Borough of Madison NJ Government
Madison was incorporated on Dec. 27, 1889, under the Borough form of government. A mayor serves a four-year term and six council members are elected at large to three-year terms. The terms are staggered so that two council members are elected each year. Both the mayor and council members are part-time positions that serve without compensation. A full-time administrator is appointed to handle the day-to-day management of the government.
The municipal government’s mission is to build a friendly, attractive, safe and well-maintained community where businesses prosper, public services and educational opportunities excel, history is preserved and citizens live in good health and harmony. There are 10 departments and three independent agencies that work to accomplish this mission. The departments include Administration, Finance, Police, Fire, Public Works, Land Use Services, Electric Utility, Municipal Court, Senior Services and Recreation. Local independent agencies include the Madison Public Library, the Board of Health and the Madison Housing Authority.
The Department of Administration includes the administrator’s office, municipal clerk, purchasing, personnel and public information. This department coordinates the overall activities of government and helps the other departments do their job more effectively. The director of business development is also a part of administration and acts as a liaison to the Downtown Development Commission (DDC) and to Madison businesses.
From May through October, the Downtown Development Commission organizes a Farmers’ Market held Thursdays from 2 to 7 p.m. The DDC also organizes the annual volunteer May Day cleanup of downtown areas and the Bottle Hill Day celebration in October, as well as a plethora of additional programs.
The police department has 28 sworn officers and is responsible for the safety and protection of citizens. The department is composed of a Patrol Division, Investigation Division, Drug Education Unit and Traffic Safety Unit. The fire department has 14 highly trained, paid firefighters and 20 well-trained volunteers. The combination departments provides Madison with a quick and effective response time.
Public Works maintains the roads, parks, buildings, sewer, storm water and drinking water systems of the Borough, including water quality problems. Land Use Services includes historic preservation, engineering, planning, zoning and construction code enforcement.
The Borough is one of only nine municipalities in the state that owns its own electric utility. Electric power purchased wholesale then sold to residents at rates lower than surrounding utilities. Madison electric service also has fewer outages and faster restoration of power when an outage occurs than surrounding utilities. Based on a recent national survey, Madison scored in the top 10 percent most reliable utilities in the country.
The Senior Center and Recreation Departments provides and support social and recreational activities for residents of all ages throughout the year.
The Board of Health, housed at 28 Walnut St., protects our community from environmental hazards, housing and food establishment concerns, property maintenance issues, and animal control. The Board of Health also provides these inspection services on a contract basis to other communities.
The Madison Public Library enriches the Madison community by providing access to ideas, information, learning and connections, to link Madison’s past, present and future.
The Housing Authority builds, rehabilitates, maintains and operates safe, clean, aesthetically pleasing housing for low-income residents. There is an 80-unit housing complex for senior citizens on Chateau Thierry Avenue and 53 well-maintained, scattered-site, low-income units throughout town.
For more information, visit www.rosenet.org or follow the Borough of Madison on social media:
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