Borough of Cresskill, NJ Article VI Borough Administrator

[Adopted 9-2-1986 by Ord. No. 86-20-937]

§ 44-27 Office created.

[Amended 12-20-2006 by Ord. No. 06-25-1327]

The office of Borough Administrator, same to be either part-time or full-time as the governing body may prefer, is hereby created in and for the Borough of Cresskill, by and subject to the provisions of this article and in accordance with N.J.S.A. 40A:9-136 through 9-138, inclusive.

§ 44-28 Appointment; removal.

A. The Borough Administrator shall be appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the Council. A majority vote of the governing body shall be required for such appointment. The Borough Administrator shall serve at the pleasure of the governing body and may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the governing body. The resolution of removal shall become effective three months after its adoption by the governing body, unless the resolution provides that it shall have immediate effect. If the resolution provides that it shall have immediate effect, it must also provide that the Borough Administrator be paid, forthwith, any unpaid balance of his salary presently due, plus three months' severance pay.

B. In the event of a vacancy, and should the Mayor prefer to fill the position, the Mayor shall appoint himself and two members of the Council to serve as a Screening Committee, and said Screening Committee shall advertise the vacancy and conduct interviews. At the conclusion of the interviews, the Screening Committee may make recommendations to the entire governing body.

[Amended 12-20-2006 by Ord. No. 06-25-1327]

§ 44-29 Qualifications.

[Amended 4-5-2017 by Ord. No. 17-01-1495]

The Borough Administrator shall be appointed on the basis of administrative qualifications, with special regard to education and training in business and government affairs and experience therein. No elected member of the governing body may receive such appointment either during his term of office or within 30 days after termination of his service. Preference may be given to a resident of the Borough of Cresskill, provided that said resident has the requisite administrative qualifications as outlined above; however, the Borough Administrator need not be a resident of the Borough of Cresskill in order to qualify for the office.

§ 44-30 Compensation.

The rate of compensation for the Borough Administrator is hereby fixed and determined to be as set forth below opposite the title. There shall be a minimum and a maximum rate of compensation, or a range for the payment of compensation, within such minimum and maximum range as the Mayor and Council shall hereafter determine by resolution. Said compensation may be changed from time to time by the General Salary Ordinance of the Borough of Cresskill.

§ 44-31 Duties and responsibilities.

[Amended 12-20-2006 by Ord. No. 06-25-1327]

The Borough Administrator shall act as the chief administrative officer of the Borough. His [Note: As used herein, "his" or "he" shall also mean "her" or "she."] duties shall include the development of rules and regulations for administrative procedures governing operation of all departments, and the personnel management and general coordination of departments, offices, boards and agencies of the Borough, all for the purpose of increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of the Borough government and of promoting its economic operation. All rules and regulations promulgated by the Borough Administrator shall be subject to approval by a majority vote of the Borough Council. The Borough Administrator shall perform the duties hereinafter enumerated and such other duties as may be assigned to him by the Mayor with the consent of the Borough Council.

A. He shall act as the chief administrator of the Borough government and, as such, will supervise all salaried personnel of the Borough, except the Borough Clerk, through the respective department heads unless otherwise provided for by law or by this article.

B. He shall coordinate the functions of all departments, boards, agencies, offices, officials and employees of the Borough and shall maintain liaison with the Board of Education and the Borough of Cresskill.

C. He shall assure that the Chief Financial Officer shall collect all data and prepare a proposed budget for consideration by the Mayor and Council, annually, on or before December 15 of each year, after obtaining requests for appropriations from all departments of the Borough and consulting with the department heads. Said proposed budget shall be accompanied by the proper supplemental detail in support of the proposed budget appropriation, with a comparison of the prior year's expenditure and an analysis of the proposed expenditures with recommendations regarding the feasibility thereof. Upon adoption of the budget, current accounts of the expenditures made shall be kept on a monthly basis, based upon the supplemental detail of the adopted budget.

D. He shall require the various departments of the Borough to furnish annually an adequate inventory of all equipment, materials and supplies in stock and to recommend the sale of any surplus, obsolete equipment. materials and supplies.

E. He shall cause to be prepared, and shall have custody of, all municipal records not required by law to be kept by another officer of the Borough and shall establish and ensure the maintenance of a coordinated filing system for all Borough departments, offices, boards and agencies.

F. He shall keep the Mayor and Council currently informed on all matters within his jurisdiction by submitting such reports as he deems advisable or as requested by the Mayor and Council and shall prepare and present to the Mayor and Council an annual report on Borough matters and shall make such other reports as from time to time the Mayor and Council may require.

G. He shall advise the Mayor and Council on all matters of administration, organization and personnel and shall assign office personnel to the performance of various departments. He shall study, recommend, implement and enforce personnel organization and policy of the Borough and shall implement vacation policy as established by the Borough Council for all departments, except as otherwise provided by statute for the Police and Fire Departments.

H. He shall study, recommend, implement and enforce procedures and policy of the Borough and its departments for receipt, dissemination and collation of, and responses to, communications and requests for information, after consultation with department heads, and shall receive, distribute and follow up requests for information and complaints from citizens and shall keep the Mayor and Council informed on such matters.

I. He shall attend all meetings of the Mayor and Council unless excused by that body.

J. He shall give advice to the governing body on background information in all matters it requests as an aid to the establishment of policy or legislation.

K. He shall follow up on matters of interest to the governing body and shall bring them to a conclusion under its direction.

L. He shall make recommendations to the governing body on legislation concerned with the health, safety and welfare of the community.

M. He shall recommend to the Mayor and Council the payment of all bills and vouchers, subject to preaudit and control as prescribed by law.

N. The Borough Administrator shall be responsible to recommend to the governing body the selection, discipline or the removal of department heads, as well as the recommendation of the employment of the department heads; however, the Mayor and Council shall make the final determination in these matters.

O. He shall investigate, at any time, the affairs of any department of the Borough of Cresskill and shall report any and all findings to the Mayor and Council.

P. He shall see that all terms and conditions imposed in favor of the Borough or its inhabitants in any statute or public utility franchise or other contract are faithfully kept and performed and, upon knowledge of any violation, shall call the same to the attention of the Borough Council.

Q. He shall study the governmental and administrative operations and needs of the Borough government and shall prepare and recommend to the Council, for adoption, such plans, programs and measures as he may deem necessary or expedient to meet any present and foreseeable needs.

R. He shall perform such other duties as may be required and prescribed from time to time by the Mayor and Council.

S. He, with the assistance of the Chief Financial Officer, shall oversee and file applications for grants to obtain funding for maintaining and furthering the good and welfare of the Borough.