Faulkner Act (Small Municipality)
Encyclopedia
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)
Faulkner Act (New Jersey)
The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act 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...
, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
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
Petition
A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer....
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)
| Municipality | County |
| Belmar Belmar, New Jersey Belmar is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 5,794. The Borough of Belmar is governed under the Faulkner Act system of municipal government.... |
Monmouth County Monmouth County, New Jersey Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with... |
| Berlin Township Berlin Township, New Jersey Berlin Township is a Township in Camden County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 5,357.Berlin was incorporated as a township on April 11, 1910, from portions of Waterford Township... |
Camden County Camden County, New Jersey -Demographics:As of the 2010 Census the population of Camden County was 60.28% Non-Hispanic white, 18.45% Non-Hispanic black, 1.12% Hispanic blacks, 0.17% Non-Hispanic Native American, 0.15% Hispanic Native Americans, 5.07% Non-Hispanic Asian, and 0.14% non-Hispanics reporting some other race... |
| Chester Township Chester Township, New Jersey Chester Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 7,838.... |
Morris County Morris County, New Jersey Morris County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, about west of New York City. According to the United States 2010 Census, the population was 492,276. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Morristown.... |
| Clinton Township Clinton Township, New Jersey Clinton Township is a Township in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 13,478.... |
Hunterdon County Hunterdon County, New Jersey Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 128,349. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Flemington.... |
| Egg Harbor City Egg Harbor City, New Jersey Egg Harbor City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 4,243.... |
Atlantic County Atlantic County, New Jersey -National protected areas:* Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge * Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Recreational River -Demographics:... |
| Lambertville Lambertville, New Jersey Lambertville is a city in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 3,906.Lambertville was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 1, 1849, from portions of West Amwell Township... |
Hunterdon County Hunterdon County, New Jersey Hunterdon County is a county located in the western section of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 128,349. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Flemington.... |
| Lopatcong Township Lopatcong Township, New Jersey Lopatcong Township is a Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the township population was 8,014... |
Warren County Warren County, New Jersey Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 108,692. Its county seat is Belvidere... |
| Pohatcong Township Pohatcong Township, New Jersey Pohatcong Township is a Township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States, located in the easternmost region of the Lehigh Valley. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 3,339.... |
Warren County Warren County, New Jersey Warren County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 108,692. Its county seat is Belvidere... |
| Woodland Park (formerly West Paterson) | Passaic County Passaic County, New Jersey Passaic County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 501,226. Its county seat is Paterson... |