Faulkner Act (Small Municipality)

Faulkner Act (Small Municipality)

The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Small Municipality form of government. Unlike the other Faulkner Act forms of municipal government, the Small Municipality Plan is available only to municipalities with a population of under 12,000.

Voters select either 3, 5, or 7 Council members or Mayor and 2, 4, or 6 Council members. Council members are elected at-large. Council serves 3-year concurrent or staggered term. Mayor elected by voters serves a 4-year term. Elections may be partisan or nonpartisan. An Organization meeting for the governing body is held on January 1 for Partisan municipalities; July 1 for Nonpartisan.

The Mayor is elected by voters or Council; presides over Council with voice and vote, but has no veto powers; exercises executive power of the municipality; appoints Council committees; and appoints the municipal clerk, attorney, tax assessor, tax collector, and the treasurer, all with Council confirmation. Council-elected mayor serves a term of 1 or 3 years, depending on whether terms are staggered or concurrent.

The Council exercises legislative power of the municipality and also approves Mayor's appointees for municipal clerk, attorney, tax assessor, tax collector and treasurer.

Mayor exercises executive power of the municipality. Council may create an administrator by ordinance.

As in all Faulkner Act municipalities, citizens in the OMCL Small Municipality system enjoy the right of initiative and referendum, meaning that proposed ordinances can be introduced directly by the people without action by the local governing body. This right is exercised by preparing a conforming petition signed by 10% of the registered voters who turned out in the last general election in an odd-numbered year. Once the petition is submitted, the local governing body can vote to pass the requested ordinance, and if they refuse, it is then submitted directly to the voters.

The following municipalities have adopted the Small Municipality form of government under the Faulkner Act. (to be expanded)


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Faulkner Act (New Jersey) — The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act (N.J.S.A. § 40:69A 1, et seq.) provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H. Faulkner …   Wikipedia

  • Faulkner (disambiguation) — Faulkner may refer to:* Faulkner (surname), an English nameIn arts: * Morris, Marshall, Faulkner Co., 19th century furnishings and decorative arts manufacturersIn cars: * Faulkner Blanchard, a 1910 automobileIn education: * Faulkner State… …   Wikipedia

  • Belmar, New Jersey — Not to be confused with Bellmawr, New Jersey. For other uses, see Belmar (disambiguation). Belmar, New Jersey   Borough   …   Wikipedia

  • Clinton Township, New Jersey — For the former township, see Clinton Township, Essex County, New Jersey. Clinton Township, New Jersey   Township   Map of Cli …   Wikipedia

  • Chester Township, New Jersey — For the municipality formerly called Chester Township in Burlington County, see Maple Shade Township, New Jersey. See also Chester Borough, New Jersey Chester Township   Township   …   Wikipedia

  • Lambertville, New Jersey — Infobox Settlement official name = Lambertville, New Jersey settlement type = City (New Jersey) nickname = motto = imagesize = image caption = image imagesize = image caption = image mapsize = 250x200px map caption = Map of Lambertville in… …   Wikipedia

  • Lopatcong Township, New Jersey — Infobox Settlement official name = Lopatcong Township, New Jersey settlement type = Township nickname = motto = imagesize = image caption = image mapsize = 250x200px map caption = Map of Lopatcong Township in Warren County. Inset: LOcation of… …   Wikipedia

  • Highlands, New Jersey — Infobox Settlement official name = Highlands, New Jersey settlement type = Borough nickname = motto = imagesize = image caption = image imagesize = image caption = image mapsize = 250x200px map caption = Map of Highlands in Monmouth County. Inset …   Wikipedia

  • Allamuchy Township, New Jersey — Infobox Settlement official name = Allamuchy Township, New Jersey settlement type = Township nickname = motto = imagesize = image caption = image mapsize = 250x200px map caption = Map of Allamuchy Township in Warren County. Inset: Location of… …   Wikipedia

  • Pohatcong Township, New Jersey — Infobox Settlement official name = Pohatcong Township, New Jersey settlement type = Township nickname = motto = imagesize = image caption = image mapsize = 250x200px map caption = Map of Pohatcong Township in Warren County. Inset: Location of… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”