There will be a Corporation Counsel who is a duly licensed attorney
of the State of New Jersey.
The Corporation Counsel shall serve for a term of one year.
The Corporation Counsel shall be the attorney of record in all
proceedings wherein the City or any of its officers, boards, bodies
or commissioners shall be a party growing out of their official position
or duties. The Corporation Counsel shall advise all City officials,
City bodies and personnel as to all matters relating to City government,
when requested to do so, except for the Planning Board and Zoning
Board of Adjustment, and shall supervise the execution, preparation
and enforcement of all contracts, deeds, documents, statutes, ordinances,
resolutions or legal correspondence. The Corporation Counsel shall
prosecute and defend all legal matters for or against the City, or
any of its officials, departments, employees or personnel, and in
general, shall be counsel for the entire City as well as all of its
officials, departments, employees and personnel, except for the Planning
Board and Zoning Board of Adjustment. Nothing herein shall preclude
the appointment of special counsel as from time to time may be deemed
to be in the best interests of the City.
Before any deed, contract or other document or any compact agreement,
ordinance, resolution or other document or matter having legal consequences
shall be considered, the same shall be submitted to the Corporation
Counsel for his/her opinion as to legality and legal form, and (s)he
shall endorse thereon or communicate with respect thereto his/her
opinion as to the legality and form of the document or matter.
The Corporation Counsel shall report to the department to which
(s)he is assigned, and shall prepare a report, if requested by the
Board of Commissioners as a whole.
The Corporation Counsel may enter into any agreement, compromise
or settlement of any controversy or litigation in which the City is
involved, subject to the approval of the Board of Commissioners.
The Corporation Counsel shall be compensated through a contract
with the law firm with which (s)he is associated in accordance with
an agreement for such fees as shall be approved by the Board of Commissioners.
The law firm shall be compensated by the City for services rendered
and reimbursed by the City for disbursements made and expenses incurred,
within the limits of available appropriations. The Corporation Counsel
shall also receive a fixed salary to attend regularly scheduled Commission
meetings.
