A council-mayor form of government places legislative functions exclusively in the hands of a township council, while administrative and executive functions are handled by the mayor.
By: John Patten
The Charter Study Commission moved into the next part of its work of reviewing forms of government allowed by state law May 9, running through a list of features of the council-mayor form of government.
The commission was empanelled in November after voters authorized a review of the township committee form of government and a look at what other forms may offer residents.
The question was placed on the 2006 ballot by the Township Committee after a petition drive in 2005 to directly change to a council-mayor form of government, with wards, failed by a 5,545 to 5,137 vote.
The commission began discussing the council-mayor in the same way the review of the township committee’s began with a review of key features of the form and the relative strengths an weaknesses of them.
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Council-mayor features The Charter Study Commission reviewed the following list of features of the council-mayor form of government, one of the forms of government suitable for Hillsborough under New Jersey’s Optional Municipal Charter Law. Separation of powers. Mayor has executive powers; council maintains legislative powers. Mayor directly elected. Mayors can be full-time or part-time. Mayor and council serve four-year terms. Elections can be staggered, providing for 2-year or 4-year election cycles. More complex form. By dividing functions, a more complicated organizational structure is created. Five, seven or nine council members. Partisan or non-partisan elections possible. Veto power. Mayor has ability to veto council actions. Initiative and referendum. Residents can more easily place issues on ballots. One chief executive. Mayor does not have to attend council meetings. Separated functions don’t require mayor’s attendance. Council cannot interact with municipal employees. |
Commission members discussed several aspects of the form at length the duties and functions of the mayor and "I&R" initiative and referendum, the ability of residents to more easily place ballot questions up for vote.
Commission Chairman Chris Jensen compared the number of signatures required on a petition under the I&R 15 percent of the number of voters in the last election for Assembly seats, or about 1,500 to the requirement faced by the petitioners in 2005 seeking a direct charter change of 4,200.
"So you can see that it’s much easier for the average citizen to put something on the ballot I think that’s really important," Mr. Jensen said.
A council-mayor form of government divides responsibility for municipal functions similarly to the federal government, placing legislative functions exclusively in hands of a township council, while administrative and executive functions are handled by the mayor. Bridgewater and Franklin townships have this form of government.
"Whether that’s the most efficient or not (having a chief executive system) is a matter of opinion," Commissioner Gloria McCauley said.
"What we heard from Reock (Dr. Ernest Reock, director of the Center for Government Services at Rutgers) was that the council-mayor form is so efficient because there’s one person responsible," Commissioner Glenn van Lier said.
Commissioners debated the benefits of such a system, and noted the council determines whether the mayor is full time or part time.
Commissioners also discussed the nonpartisan feature available to council-mayor government. Choosing a nonpartisan form of government would distance municipal candidates from political parties, and move municipal elections to May. Mr. van Lier said he believed the reason for separate elections was to focus elections on local issues and make the elections less confusing to voters.
"I think if you take a nonpartisan way and apply it to our government, you get more confusion," Ms. McCauley said.
The commission will continues its discussion of the council-mayor form at its meeting Wednesday, with several members from the West Windsor Township Council scheduled to be interviewed.
During a public comment portion of the meeting, Arthur Road resident Curt Carnes urged the commissioners to ask them how much it cost their township to change forms, and what improvements they’ve seen in their town since the change of government.