Sussex County, NJ elected officials: county commissioners, sheriff, school board and cities

Who holds every elected county, school board, city and special-district office in Sussex County: 31 seats on 27 elected bodies. 4 seats were on the November 3, 2026 ballot; they update once the county certifies its results.

Board of County Commissioners

Sussex County Board of County Commissioners

Every member is elected countywide.

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County CommissionerJill Space source
County CommissionerJack DeGroot Republican sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
County CommissionerChris Carney source
County CommissionerAlan Henderson source
County CommissionerDavid Silverthorne source

County officers

OfficeWho holds it nowNext term
County ClerkJeff Parrott sourceOn the Nov 3, 2026 ballot: count not certified yet
SheriffMichael F. Strada source

Cities and towns

  • Andover Borough · Mayor John Morgan · 1 seat
  • Andover Township · Mayor Thomas D.Walsh, Jr. · 1 seat
  • Branchville · Mayor Anthony Frato, Sr. · 1 seat
  • Byram · Mayor Alexander Rubenstein · 1 seat
  • Frankford · Mayor Edwin Risdon · 1 seat
  • Franklin · Mayor John Sowden, IV · 1 seat
  • Fredon · Mayor Chris Nichols · 1 seat
  • Green · Mayor Virginia "Ginnie" Raffay · 1 seat
  • Hamburg · Mayor Richard Krasnomowitz · 1 seat
  • Hampton · Mayor Timothy Dooley · 1 seat
  • Hardyston · Mayor Stanley Kula · 1 seat
  • Hopatcong · Mayor Marie Galate · 1 seat
  • Lafayette · Mayor Richard Hughes · 1 seat
  • Montague · Mayor George Zitone · 1 seat
  • Newton · Mayor Matthew Dickson · 1 seat
  • Ogdensburg · Mayor George Hutnick · 1 seat
  • Sandyston · Mayor George B. Harper, Jr. · 1 seat
  • Sparta · Mayor Dean Blumetti · 1 seat
  • Stanhope · Mayor Eugene Wronko · 1 seat
  • Stillwater · Mayor Vera Rumsey · 1 seat
  • Sussex · Mayor Robert Holowach · 1 seat
  • Vernon · Mayor Anthony Rossi · 1 seat
  • Walpack · Mayor Victor J. Maglio · 1 seat
  • Wantage · Mayor Justin Vandergroef · 1 seat

How many local governments Sussex County has

The Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments counts 49 local governments in Sussex County. This page lists the ones whose offices are elected.

Kind of governmentCensus count (2022)Listed on this page
County government11
Cities, towns, villages and townships (9 municipal, 15 township)2424
School districts (school boards)240
Special districts (elected boards)00

Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Government Units Listing (census.gov).

About these counts

The Census Bureau counts every independent local government once, in the county it assigns it to: the one it mostly serves or where it's based. A city or district that crosses county lines is counted in only one county, so it may be listed on this page but counted elsewhere, or the other way around. Many special districts, such as housing authorities, have appointed boards, and some places have more than one elected body, so the two columns measure different things. School systems run by a county, city or the state aren't counted as separate governments (2 in Sussex County), though their boards may be listed here; in some states the Bureau counts community or state colleges as school districts. The counts are as of 2022.

Who lives in Sussex County

145,807people
43.8median ageU.S.: 38.9
$116,186 household incomeU.S.: $80,734
5.5%below the U.S.: 12.5%
40.3%of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degreeU.S.: 35.7%
$369,400median home valueU.S.: $332,700
5.1%unemployed (of the labor force)U.S.: 5.2%
8.7%born outside the U.S.U.S.: 14.1%
4.8%of adults are veteransU.S.: 6.2%
3.8%U.S.: 8.4%
54.9%of renting households pay of income on rentU.S.: 51.1%
29.6%of homeowners with a mortgage pay of income on housing costsU.S.: 28.1%

Race and Hispanic origin: Hispanic or Latino 11.9% · White 79.7% · Black 1.7% · Asian 2% · Other or more than one race 4.7% (Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the other groups are non-Hispanic.)

Census Bureau, 2020–2024 5-year estimates (data.census.gov).

About these figures

The American Community Survey asks about 3.5 million households a year about who lives there, their work, income, schooling and housing. The 5-year estimates pool 2020–2024 answers so that every county and district has enough of them. They're estimates with a (larger for smaller places), and they're different from the once-a-decade census count. "Median" means half are above and half below. Household income is before taxes and includes everyone in the household. The unemployment share here is the survey's five-year average, so it differs from the monthly rate in the BLS jobs report. Race and Hispanic origin are as people describe themselves.

Health insurance means any coverage, private or public (such as Medicaid or Medicare), when people answered; the share is of everyone except people on active military duty and people living in institutions such as prisons and nursing homes. The housing shares are of renting households, and of homeowners with a mortgage, for whom the Census Bureau can compute them (households with no income, or renters who pay no cash rent, are left out). Rent here is gross rent, rent plus utilities; owner costs include the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, utilities and fees.

Jobs in Sussex County

3.7%September 2026, preliminary. A year earlier: 5.2%. New Jersey: 4.1%.
2,937people unemployedSeptember 2026, preliminary.
76,638people employedSeptember 2026, preliminary. Counted where they live, not where they work.
79,575in the September 2026, preliminary.
Unemployment rate, yearly average, Sussex County 0.0%2.4%4.7%7.1%9.5% 20162018202020222024

Yearly average unemployment rate, 2016–2025.

Every month, last two years
MonthRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
September 2026 (preliminary)3.7%2,93776,63879,575
August 20264.3%3,41376,21679,629
July 20264.2%3,39276,60179,993
June 20264.0%3,19876,66379,861
May 20263.8%3,05676,57179,627
April 20263.7%2,97676,61379,589
March 20264.8%3,79675,92679,722
February 20265.4%4,26775,20979,476
January 20264.8%3,80475,14778,951
December 20254.3%3,40375,97779,380
November 20254.3%3,40276,24279,644
October 2025not collected (2025 federal shutdown)
September 20255.2%4,11374,94379,056
August 20255.4%4,26074,84879,108
July 20255.5%4,35875,33879,696
June 20254.9%3,90676,10980,015
May 20254.7%3,70275,52879,230
April 20254.6%3,65876,30879,966
March 20255.2%4,15575,76579,920
February 20255.5%4,41275,55579,967
January 20255.2%4,09975,25079,349
December 20244.3%3,39176,07879,469
November 20244.1%3,27375,96879,241
October 20244.0%3,21176,46879,679
Yearly averages
YearRateUnemployedEmployedLabor force
2025 (11 months)5.0%3,95275,62479,576
20244.4%3,49776,06879,565
20234.1%3,28676,61879,904
20223.8%2,98875,75378,741
20216.2%4,79672,43177,227
20209.0%6,90969,50576,414
20193.3%2,58275,50278,084
20183.8%2,88574,03576,920
20174.2%3,27674,28777,563
20164.6%3,60674,95978,565

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, : BLS publishes county figures only that way, so they rise and fall with the seasons; compare a month with the same month a year earlier rather than with the month before. New Jersey's figure above is on the same basis; seasonally adjusted, as in BLS's monthly state release, it was 4.2% in September 2026. The latest month is preliminary and is revised the next month, and BLS revises earlier years each spring. People are counted where they live. October 2025 wasn't collected during the 2025 federal government shutdown, so 2025's yearly average covers 11 months.

Crime reported in Sussex County

56.3 per 100,0002024. New Jersey: 219.7.
321.3 per 100,0002024. New Jersey: 1,435.6.
0murders2024, 88 violent crimes in all.

2024 is the latest year with complete reporting here: at least one of the county's police agencies didn't send the FBI a full year of figures since, so later totals would be undercounts.

Earlier years
YearViolentRatePropertyRate
20248856.3502321.3
20205940.6515354.6
20197652.4635437.8
20186947.7701484.8
20178154.7924624.3
20168054.11,163786.5
By police agency (11)
AgencyYearViolentPropertyPeople served
Vernon Township Police Department202523323,028
Sparta Township Police Department2025115520,552
Hopatcong Police Department2025143114,857
Hardyston Township Police Department20252158,564
Newton Police Department202510768,458
Byram Township Police Department20253138,271
Andover Township Police Department20251205,614
Franklin Police Department20235395,003
Stanhope Police Department20252123,620
Hamburg Police Department20256133,375
Ogdensburg Police Department2024002,307

Crimes to the county's city and county police agencies (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, Return A), per 100,000 people they serve. Years with incomplete reporting are left out. Crime in New Jersey · the U.S.

Police staffing

2.08 per 1,000 residents2025, 11 agencies serving 103,765 people.
216sworn officers2025, full-time, as of October 31.
52civilian staff2025, full-time.
Agencies counted (11), 2025
AgencyOfficersCiviliansPeople served
Sparta Township Police Department371620,552
Vernon Township Police Department34923,028
Hopatcong Police Department29814,857
Newton Police Department2558,458
Hardyston Township Police Department2068,564
Franklin Police Department1815,101
Andover Township Police Department1355,614
Byram Township Police Department1508,271
Hamburg Police Department1013,375
Stanhope Police Department913,620
Ogdensburg Police Department602,325
Earlier years
YearOfficersPer 1,000CiviliansAgencies
20252162.085211
20242041.995311
20232021.967811
20222031.974811
20212182.254811
20201972.034511
20191972.024811
20181941.984411
20171891.924811
20161911.924811

Full-time employees of the county's city police departments and sheriff's office, as each reported them to the FBI (Uniform Crime Reporting, Law Enforcement Employees), per 1,000 people in the areas those agencies serve (the FBI's population figures). A year is shown only when every one of these agencies sent a count; a count under half or over double the agency's own counts in nearby years is treated as not sent. Towns policed under contract by another agency are counted through that agency. State police, campus and other agencies aren't included. Sheriffs' offices often also run the county jail and courthouse security, so their staff counts include those jobs.

Quick answers

Who is the Sussex County County Clerk?
Jeff Parrott is the County Clerk of Sussex County, New Jersey. The seat was on the November 3, 2026 ballot; the count isn't certified yet.
Who is the Sussex County Sheriff?
Michael F. Strada is the Sheriff of Sussex County, New Jersey.
Who are the Sussex County commissioners?
Jill Space (County Commissioner); Jack DeGroot (County Commissioner); Chris Carney (County Commissioner); Alan Henderson (County Commissioner); David Silverthorne (County Commissioner).
What is the population of Sussex County?
About 145,807 people, with a median age of 43.8; the median household income is $116,186 and 5.5% live below the poverty line (Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates).
What is the unemployment rate in Sussex County?
3.7% in September 2026 (preliminary): 2,937 people unemployed in a labor force of 79,575, against 5.2% a year earlier (Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, not seasonally adjusted).
How many local governments are there in Sussex County?
49 in the Census Bureau's 2022 Census of Governments: 1 county, 9 municipal, 15 township and 24 school district governments.
What cities and towns are in Sussex County?
24: Andover Borough, Andover Township, Branchville, Byram, Frankford, Franklin, Fredon, Green, Hamburg, Hampton, Hardyston, Hopatcong, Lafayette, Montague, Newton, Ogdensburg, Sandyston, Sparta, Stanhope, Stillwater, Sussex, Vernon, Walpack, Wantage. Each has its own page with its mayor and council.

Officeholders as of November 6, 2026, from the NJ Department of Community Affairs' Mayors Directory, the Division of Elections' list of county clerks, and each county's own website; where a county site blocks automated reading, from the county clerk's certified election results (officials appointed since an election may differ); each name links to its source. Officials change between elections (appointments, resignations), and the body's own website is the authority. Party is shown only for offices elected on a partisan ballot.

Sussex County's 2026 ballot and results · Every New Jersey county · New Jersey's members of Congress

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