The Township Council shall consist of the Mayor
and six Council members. The Mayor and Council shall be elected at
large at the general election to be held on the first Tuesday after
the first Monday in November. Except as otherwise provided by law
for Council members first elected, the Mayor shall serve for a term
of four years, and the Council members for a term of three years,
beginning on January 1 next following their election.
Vacancies on the Council shall be filled in
accordance with the Municipal Vacancy Law, P.L. 1979, c. 83.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: See N.J.S.A. 40A:16-1 et seq.
The legislative power of the municipality shall
be exercised by the Council, except as may be otherwise provided by
general law. The Mayor shall preside over all meetings of the Council
except as herein provided, but shall not vote except to give the deciding
vote in case of a tie. Three Council members and the Mayor, and in
the absence of the Mayor four Council members, shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business, but a smaller number may meet
and adjourn from time to time. The Council shall annually select from
among the Council members a President of the Council who shall serve
in place of the Mayor in the event of the Mayor's absence, disability
or refusal to preside. The Mayor shall, when necessary, call special
meetings of the Council. In case of the Mayor's neglect or refusal,
any four Council members may call a special meeting upon due notice
of the time and place to the Mayor and all Council members.
The compensation of each member of the Council
and Mayor shall be fixed from time to time by Salary Ordinance.
The Council shall select, each January 1, from
its members a Council President. If the members shall be unable, within
five ballots to be taken within two days of the organization meeting,
to elect a Council President, then the member who in the election
for members of the Municipal Council received the greatest number
of votes shall be the Council President. Should such person decline
to accept the office, then the person receiving the next highest vote
shall be the Council President, and so on until the office is filled.
The executive power of the municipality shall
be exercised by the Mayor. He shall enforce the Charter and ordinances
of the municipality and all general laws applicable thereto, and shall
recommend such actions to the Council as he may deem in the public
interest. All bonds, notes, deeds, contracts and written obligations
of the Township shall be executed on its behalf by the Mayor or, in
the event of his inability to act, the Council President.
[Amended 2-10-2005 by Ord. No. 2005-03]
The Council shall meet regularly on dates set
by resolution adopted by the Council at the reorganization meeting
held at the beginning of each year as designated by statute and code.
When the time for any regular meeting of the Council falls on a day
of a convention of municipalities, such meeting shall be held at the
same hour on a day prescribed by the Council for such meeting by resolution
and after public notice of such day has been given.
The Township Council shall act in all matters
as a body. No Council member shall seek individually to influence
the official acts of any officer, nor shall the Council or any of
its members direct or request the appointment of any person to or
his removal from office or interfere in any way with the performance
by such officers of their duties. The Council or any of its members
may direct or request the appointment of any person to, or his removal
from, office; but may not interfere in any way with the performance
by such officers of their duties. Nothing contained herein shall prevent
the Council from appointing committees or commissions of its own members
or of citizens to conduct investigations into the conduct of any officer
or department, or any other matter relating to the welfare of the
Township. The Council may delegate to such committees or commissions
such powers of inquiry as it may deem necessary. Any Councilman violating
the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction thereof in a
court of competent jurisdiction, be disqualified as Councilman.
Each ordinance adopted by the Council shall
be submitted to the Mayor, and he shall within 10 days after receiving
it either approve the ordinance by affixing his signature thereto
or return it to the Council by delivering it to the Municipal Clerk,
together with a written statement of his objections thereto or to
any item or part thereof. No ordinance, or any item or part thereof,
shall take effect without the Mayor's approval unless the Mayor fails
to return an ordinance to the Council within 10 days after it has
been presented to him, or unless the Council, upon reconsideration
thereof on or after the third day following its return by the Mayor,
shall resolve to override the Mayor's veto by a vote of at least 2/3
of the members.
A.
The Mayor shall nominate, and with the advice and
consent of the Council appoint, a Municipal Administrator, an Assessor,
a Tax Collector, an Attorney, a Clerk, a Director of Finance and such
other officers as may be provided by ordinance. Except where otherwise
prohibited by general law, one person may be appointed to two or more
such offices, except that one person shall not be simultaneously the
Assessor and Treasurer, or Assessor and Collector. All such officers
shall be annually appointed unless another term is provided by this
article or by general law.[1]
B.
The municipality may provide by ordinance for the
establishment of municipal departments, not to exceed six in number.
Each department shall be headed by a director, who shall be appointed
by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council. Each department
head shall serve during the term of office of the Mayor appointing
him, and until the appointment and qualification of a successor. The
Mayor may remove any department head upon written notice to the Council.
The Council may remove department heads for cause after hearing.
C.
The Municipal Administrator shall supervise the administration
of each of the departments established by ordinance. For this purpose,
the Municipal Administrator shall have the power to investigate the
organization and operations of any department, to prescribe standards
and rules of administrative practice and procedure, and to consult
with the heads of departments.
All officers and employees whose appointment
or election is not otherwise provided for in this article or by general
law shall be appointed by the Mayor.
Any ordinance heretofore adopted by a municipality
governed by § 36 of P.L. 1981, c. 465 (N.J.S.A. 40:69A-149.1
through 40:69A-149.16) which provides for the establishment of municipal
departments, and any actions taken by a municipality pursuant to that
ordinance, are validated and confirmed; provided that the ordinance
shall be amended to conform to the provisions of the amendatory and
supplementary act within 90 days after its effective date.
