Howell Township operates within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Council-Manager form of municipal government. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 565) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the four-member Township Council, whose members are chosen in partisan voting to four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with elections held in even-numbered years as part of the November general election. Three council seats are up together and two years later there is one council seat and the mayoral seat up for election at the same time. At a reorganization meeting held after each election, the council selects a deputy mayor from among its members.