Township of Cinnaminson, NJ Article II Township Committee

§ 10-4 Legislative power.

All legislative power of the Township shall be exercised by the Township Committee pursuant to law.

§ 10-5 Organization.

The Township Committee shall organize annually the first week of January, at which time it will elect a Mayor from among its members. The Mayor shall preside at meetings of the Township Committee and perform such other duties as the Township Committee may prescribe. In the absence of the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor shall be the presiding officer.

§ 10-6 Chairman.

The Township Committee shall annually elect one of its number as Chairman at the annual meeting. He shall be referred to as "Mayor" and shall perform all duties of the Mayor. Duties of the Chairman shall be to:

A. Appoint advisory committees to study and make recommendations to the Township Committee.

B. Appoint advisory committees to certain boards and commissions, as permitted by state statutes.

C. Issue proclamations.

D. Serve as the Township's chief official at meetings and ceremonies.

E. Execute contracts, agreements and other legal documents following authorization from the Township Committee.

F. Serve as a member ex officio on certain statutory boards and commissions.

G. Exercise every other power usually exercised by Township Mayors or conferred upon him by law and by formal action of the Township Committee.

§ 10-7 Vice Chairman.

The Vice Chairman shall act in the absence of the Mayor and shall be appointed at the annual meeting by the vote of a majority of the Township Committee and shall be referred to as the Deputy Mayor. He shall have the same powers and duties as the Mayor in the absence of the Mayor.

§ 10-8 Meetings.

A. Regular meetings. The Township Committee shall meet for reorganization during the first seven days of the year. The Committee shall meet regularly thereafter, as set forth in the annual meeting schedule adopted by resolution pursuant to N.J.S.A. 10:4-18.

[Amended 2-11-1975 by Ord. No. 1975-1; 2-24-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-2]

B. Special meetings. A special meeting may be called at any time upon the written request of 1/4 of the total membership of the Township Committee, or by the Mayor.[1] The request and call for a special meeting shall specify the purpose of the meeting and no business shall be transacted at any special meeting other than that specified. The call for a special meeting shall be filed with the Township Clerk and served upon each Committee member as hereinafter provided at least 24 hours prior to the time for which the meeting is called, provided that the Mayor may determine that an emergency exists affecting the health or safety of the people, which requires consideration by the Township Committee within a shorter time, and upon such determination, which the Mayor shall set forth in the call, the call may be filed with the Township Clerk at any time not less than three hours prior to the time set for the meeting. Upon the filing of any call for a special meeting, the Township Clerk shall forthwith give notice thereof by telephone or telegraph to each Committee member, at such place as he shall have previously designated for that purpose, and shall also serve or cause to be served a written copy of the call upon each Committee member, by delivery of a copy to him personally or by the leaving of a copy at his usual place of abode. The Police Department shall cooperate with the Township Clerk in effectuating such service of notice. Upon waiver of notice by all members of the Township Committee, a special meeting may be held without prior notice notwithstanding the above provisions of this section.

[1] Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 40:48-24.

C. Rules. All regular and special meetings of the Township Committee shall be open to the public. The rules of procedure to be followed, the rules for the consideration of nominations submitted by the Mayor, and the rules for the conduct of other business of the Committee shall be provided by ordinance, resolution or motion.

[Amended 2-24-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-2]

D. Agenda. The agenda for each meeting of the Township Committee shall be prepared by the Township Clerk. Except for important or timely matters which may be added to the agenda at any time with the approval of a majority of those present of the Township Committee, the agenda for each meeting of the Township Committee shall include only such matters of Township Committee business as have been presented or delivered to the Township Clerk not later than three days preceding the meeting. As soon as the agenda for each meeting has been prepared, the Township Clerk shall have delivered a copy to each Committeeman, the Township Attorney and the Township Engineer. The Clerk shall promptly distribute copies to the press and to interested citizens upon request. A copy of each agenda shall be posted on the bulletin board in the municipal building three days prior to the meeting therefor.

[Amended 2-24-2014 by Ord. No. 2014-2]

E. Quorum. A majority of the whole number of members of the Township Committee shall constitute a quorum, and no ordinance shall be adopted by the Township Committee without the affirmative vote of a majority of the quorum of the Committee. If a quorum is not present 1/2 hour after the appointed time for any meeting, the presiding officer or the Township Clerk may declare the meeting adjourned.

F. Ordinances and resolutions.

(1) All proposed ordinances shall be prepared by or approved by the Township Attorney or his duly elected substitute upon the direction of the Township Committee. Prior to its introduction, each proposed ordinance shall be submitted to the Township Clerk and the Township Committee.

(2) An ordinance or resolution may be introduced and seconded by any two members of the Township Committee. Each ordinance and resolution shall be limited to a single subject.

(3) All ordinances shall be passed and advertised in the manner prescribed by law.

G. Filing of reports and resolutions. The Township Committee shall file with the Township Clerk all ordinances, resolutions, reports, petitions, correspondence and other papers considered by or presented to it.

H. Roll-call votes; minutes. The vote upon every motion, resolution or ordinance shall, when requested, be taken by roll call and the yeas and nays shall be entered on the minutes. The minutes of each meeting shall be signed by the Township Clerk and the Mayor.

I. Budget.

(1) Budget preparation.

(a) The budget shall be prepared by the Township Committee. During the month of December in the year prior to the adoption of the budget, the Township Committee shall require all departments to submit requests for appropriations for the year next preceding the year in which the budget is adopted. Officers and department heads may be required to appear before the Township Committee at public hearings or informal conferences during the months of January and February. The budget document shall be prepared in such form as is required by law. There shall be appended to the budget analyses of all expenditures and revenues.

(b) So far as practicable, such analyses shall include appropriate statements of the cost of performance of functional programs and activities stated in terms of quantitative, countable units of work for operating and capital expenditures. The Auditor, together with the assistance of the officers who receive such revenue, shall prepare all estimates of nonproperty tax revenues anticipated for the support of each annual budget.

(2) Budget operation.

(a) The Administrator shall supervise the administration of each annual budget. In consultation with department heads, he shall establish quarterly or such other periodic allotments of appropriations as may be deemed necessary. Each department shall plan and administer its expenditure program within the limits of such allotments.

(b) If at any time during the budget year the Administrator shall ascertain that the Township is faced with the probability of incurring a cash deficit for the current year, he shall reconsider the work programs and allotments of the several departments with the department head and Township Committeeman in charge of the department. Upon such reconsideration and with the approval of the Township Committee, he may revise budget allotments so as to forestall, so far as possible, the making of commitments and expenditures in excess of the revenues to be realized during the fiscal year.