Pursuant to the authority of N.J.S.A. 40:87-15,
there is hereby created the office of Township Attorney.
The Township Attorney shall hold office for
a term of one year from the date of appointment and until a successor
shall have been legally appointed and qualified. Such appointment
shall be made by the Township Committee.
It shall be the duty of the Township Attorney
to:
A. Attend all meetings of the Township Committee.
B. Advise the Township Committee or the Township Manager,
when thereto requested, upon all legal questions arising in the conduct
of the Township business.
C. Prepare or review ordinances when requested by the
Township Committee.
D. Provide an opinion upon any legal matter or question
submitted by the Township Committee.
E. Prepare for execution all contracts and instruments
to which the Township is a party and shall approve as to form all
bonds required to be submitted to the Township.
F. Defend, as Attorney and counsel for the Township,
all actions which may be brought by or against it or any Township
officer or in which the Township is interested in any court of this
state when requested by the Township Committee.
G. Adjust, settle, compromise or submit to arbitration
any action, causes of action, counterdebts, claims, demands and matters
in favor of or against the Township, or in which this Township is
concerned as debtor or creditor, now existing or which may hereinafter
arise, provided that the money to settle claims generally has been
appropriated and is available therefor, subject to the approval of
the Township Committee.
H. Immediately report to the Township Committee the outcome
of any litigation in which the Township has an interest.
I. Perform all legal services auxiliary to the Township
Committee action in connection with the appropriation of property
to public use and in the levying of assessments.
J. With the consent of the Township Committee, employ
additional counsel to aid in the trial, defense or argument of such
causes or proceedings of importance in which the Township may be a
party or be interested, as the Township Attorney may deem necessary.
Upon the expiration of the term of office or
resignation or removal therefrom, the Township Attorney shall forthwith
surrender to the several Township officers charged with custody therefor
all deeds, leases, conveyances, obligations, bonds, contracts, agreements,
maps, reports or other papers in his hands belonging to the Township
and shall deliver to the successor in office all legal papers, documents
and other papers relating to business of the Township together with
a written consent of substitution of the successor in all actions
then pending and undetermined in which the Township is a party.
The Township Attorney shall receive compensation
for legal services as he or she may be directed to perform during
the year by the Township Committee upon presentation of a voucher
sworn to as required by law in accordance with the professional services
agreement.