Hackensack group leads drive to change city's form of government September 27, 2014 Last updated: Saturday, September 27, 2014, 1:21 AM
By TODD SOUTH
STAFF WRITER
The Record
HACKENSACK — A group of residents began a petition drive on Friday to hold a referendum on changing the city's form of government.
Hackensack Citizens for Good Government released a statement detailing its plan to gather more than 4,000 signatures of registered voters to force a referendum, but it is unlikely that the drive will be in time for November's ballot.
Among other significant differences, the change could mean that residents would be able to introduce ordinances or repeal ordinances passed by the governing body.
The ballot measure would ask voters if they want to change from the current municipal-manager form to the council-manager form of government, similar to what is in place in Teaneck, Ridgewood and Fair Lawn, said a New Jersey State League of Municipalities official.
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Related Information:
http://www.njslom.org/magart0307_p14.html The 1923 Municipal Manager Form of Government (NJSA 40-39-1 et seq.)This form is the early predecessor to the Faulkner Act’s Council-Manager form and is reflective of the Progressive effort to bring a more businesslike, professional approach to local government. In effect, this form separated policy making (council) from policy implementation (manager).5 By law, a municipality can adopt through a referendum, a three, five or seven-member council, elected at large in nonpartisan elections. The mayor is selected from the council but the duties associated with the title are essentially limited to presiding over and voting with the council and a handful of appointments. The manager serves as the chief executive of the municipality. The manager ideally is politically neutral and operates the municipality in a businesslike manner. The manager prepares the budget for the council, oversees the negotiation and implementation of contracts and handles most personnel matters.
With the passage of the Faulkner Act, municipalities have drifted away from this form towards the OMCL Council-Manager Form. Today, seven municipalities operate under this form.
Council-Manager FormThis form is very similar to the previously mentioned 1923 Municipal Manager Law. Like the 1923 law, this form, it provides for an experienced professional to serve as the chief Executive.
The council is made up of five, seven or nine elected members. The council is the legislative body of the municipality but also appoints the positions of Municipal Clerk, Tax Assessor and well as provides for appointments of members of Boards, Commissions and Authorities. Perhaps most importantly, the council appoints a qualified manager to serve as the chief executive.
The mayor can either be selected from the council or directly elected. Either way, the mayor serves as the presiding member of the council. The Manager has the full administrative responsibility for the municipality, including appointment of department heads as well as subordinates, preparation and presentation of the budget and the negotiation of contracts.
A municipality under the Council-Manager form has the following options:
1. Partisan or nonpartisan elections. If the elections are nonpartisan, the municipality has the option of run-off elections.
2. Staggered or concurrent terms.
3. The mayor can be voted directly by the people or selected from among the council. If elected by the voters, the mayor serves a four-year term. If selected by the council, the mayor serves either a one, two or four year term, depending on whether the council serves staggered or concurrent terms and local ordinances.
4. Council members can be elected at-large or from wards. If the municipality operates under a ward-based system, the number of wards is also an option.
5. The size of the council can be five, seven or nine members.
As of 2006, 42 municipalities operate under the OMCL Council Manager form.