The commission will hear from one of the state’s leading experts on the subject of municipal charters next week.
By: John Patten
The Hillsborough Charter Study Commission will hear from one of the state’s leading experts on the subject of municipal charters next week, gaining guidance on how to begin its eight-month study of the township’s form of government.
The commission was empanelled after the Nov. 7 vote authorizing a study to review the current five-member Township Committee form of government and consider alternatives permitted under the state’s Optional Municipal Charter Law, commonly known as the Faulkner Act.
The commission has until August to consider the various forms of government before issuing a final report, which may recommend a change in government or no change.
But between here and there, the commissioners will need to hear from other communities and experts in the field, and will be requesting Dr. Ernest Reock of the Center for Government Services at Rutgers share his recommendations for budgeting, scheduling and planning how to proceed.
"It will be mostly scheduling," Dr. Reock said Wednesday about any discussion he might lead at the commission’s meeting next week, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in the municipal complex. "It’s matter of going over their process."
Dr. Reock said he would offer guidance on "scheduling their work over the next nine months," as well as some input on the expenses such studies entail.
"I can give them some guidance from other towns of what they can expect," he said.
The commission had first considered inviting Dr. Reock at its initial meeting Nov. 20, and made a final decision Tuesday to extend the invitation.
Also during Tuesday’s meeting, the group named Glenn van Lier the commission’s recording secretary and George Ostergren was tapped as treasurer after a nomination by Chairman Chris Jensen that highlighted Mr. Ostergren’s reputation for questioning township spending while he sat on the Township Committee from 1991 to 1996.
"It’s come to my attention that Mr. Ostergren is very concerned about how much we might spend on this board, so much so in fact, some might call him a tightwad," Mr. Jensen teased.
"Say what?" Mr. Ostergren said.
"Say ‘thank you,’ George," Mr. van Lier said.

