Faulkner Act (Council-Manager)

New Jersey Municipal Government
Traditional forms
Borough Township
City Town Village
Modern Forms
Walsh Act/Commission
1923 Municipal Manager
Faulkner Act Forms
Mayor-Council Council-Manager
Small Municipality
Mayor-Council-Administrator
Nonstandard Forms
Special Charter
Changing Form of Municipal Government
Charter Study Commission

The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Council-Manager government.

The council consists of 5, 7, or 9 members elected by the public. One of the councilors — chosen either by at-large election or by a vote among the councilors — serves as the mayor, who is merely the head of council and has no special privileges such as veto power. The council hires a manager, who serves as the chief executive and administrative official. The manager prepares the budget, appoints and removes department heads, and attends council meetings, but does not have a vote.

As in all Faulkner Act municipalities, citizens in the Council-Manager 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 Council-Manager system under the Faulkner Act. (to be expanded)

Municipality County
Aberdeen Township Monmouth County
Brigantine Atlantic County
Byram Township Sussex County
Cape May Cape May County
Cedar Grove Essex County
Deptford Township Gloucester County
East Windsor Township Mercer County
Eastampton Township Burlington County
Evesham Township Burlington County
Fair Lawn Bergen County
Franklin Township Somerset
Galloway Township Atlantic County
Howell Township Monmouth County
Keansburg Monmouth County
Lawrence Township Mercer County
Livingston Essex County
Lower Township Cape May County
Maple Shade Township Burlington County
Medford Township Burlington County
Montclair Essex County
Moorestown Township Burlington County
Mount Holly Township Burlington County
Mount Laurel Township Burlington County
Mountain Lakes Morris County
Newton Sussex County
Ocean Township Monmouth County
Pequannock Township Morris County
Randolph Township Morris County
Ridgewood Bergen County
Ringwood Passaic County
Roxbury Township Morris County
South Brunswick Township Middlesex County
Sparta Township Sussex County
Springfield Township Burlington County
Teaneck Bergen County
Vernon Township Sussex County
Verona Essex County
Washington Warren County
Weehawken Hudson County
Willingboro Township Burlington County