Morristown, NJ Government
The Town of Morristown runs under a strong Mayor-Council form of government (Faulkner Act, Plan B). There’s an elected mayor, a seven-member council, and a town administrator who handles day-to-day operations. Town offices are at 200 South Street, two blocks south of the Green.
This page covers the Town of Morristown itself. The “donut” around it, Morris Township, is a separate municipality with its own government, township committee, and offices on Woodland Avenue.
Mayor and Council
The mayor serves a four-year term and runs the executive branch. The council has seven members: four elected by ward (Wards 1 through 4) and three elected at-large. Council members serve four-year staggered terms, so part of the seats turn over every two years. The council elects its own president and vice-president each January.
Current officials, meeting agendas, and ward maps are kept up to date on the town’s official site at townofmorristown.org.
Council meetings
The council meets twice a month, typically the second and fourth Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers at Town Hall (200 South Street). Meetings are open to the public, livestreamed, and archived on the town’s site. Public comment is taken at every meeting; sign-up sheets are at the back of the chamber.
The Planning Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment meet separately, and their agendas (which is where most development questions surface) are also on the town’s site. Planning Board meetings appear on this site’s Events feed when the agenda is posted.
Getting things done
A few patterns cover most of what people actually need:
- Garbage, recycling, and bulk pickup. The town’s Department of Public Works runs collection. Schedules and bulk-pickup rules are at townofmorristown.org/department/?fDD=12-0. Calls to the DPW go to 973-292-6710.
- Parking and permits. Downtown street parking is metered via the ParkMobile app (zone numbers on every meter sign). Residential parking permits, the merchant program, and parking-deck stickers are run by the Morristown Parking Authority at the Dehart Street deck, 973-538-1700, morristownparking.com.
- Police, non-emergency. Morristown Police HQ is also at 200 South Street, with a non-emergency dispatch line at 973-538-2200. 911 for emergencies. The department’s site sits inside the town’s official site.
- OPRA requests. Open Public Records Act requests for any town document go through the Town Clerk. The current request form is downloadable from the town’s site; completed forms can be submitted to the Clerk’s office at Town Hall, by email, or by fax. The statutory response window is seven business days.
- Property taxes. Tax bills, assessment lookups, and the appeal calendar live with the Tax Assessor and Tax Collector, both at Town Hall. The Morris County Board of Taxation handles appeals.
County, state, and federal
Morris County government sits a few blocks north at the Administration and Records Building, 10 Court Street. The county runs the courts (Morris County Courthouse, Washington Street), the Sheriff’s Office, the Surrogate, the County Clerk, and the Morris County Park Commission (which manages most of the parks listed under Things to Do). County government info is at morriscountynj.gov.
At the state and federal level, Morristown is in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District and District 25 of the state legislature. The federal courthouse in Newark and the state courts in Trenton are about 30 to 50 minutes away.
Quick links
- Town of Morristown official site
- Morristown Police
- Morristown Parking Authority
- Morris County government
- Morris County Park Commission
Spot something out of date on this page? Send a note.