There shall be an Office of the Citizen's Advocate
which shall function independently of the Mayor and Council. Its members
shall serve as ombudsmen to receive and investigate complaints made
by individuals pertinent to Township business, to speak for, on behalf
of or independently of citizens of River Vale and to inform the general
public of issues vital to residents of River Vale. The spokesperson
may speak at all regular meetings of the Council and may make known
the views of the office through the Township Newsletter.
The Office of the Citizen's Advocate shall consist
of three members. One such member shall be appointed to office by
the Mayor; one such member shall be appointed to office by the Council;
and the third member shall be appointed to office by the first two
appointed members. A spokesperson shall be appointed for each separate
meeting by the members from among the membership and shall speak on
behalf of the membership at each public meeting.
The initial membership shall hold office for
a term of one year. Thereafter, all such members shall serve in office
for a term of two years and until their successors have been appointed
and qualify to serve.
All members of the Office of Citizen's Advocate
shall be residents of the Township of River Vale. Any such member(s)
who shall be a candidate for political or elective office or serve
in any other official appointed capacity within the Township of River
Vale shall be immediately disqualified as member(s) of the Office
of the Citizen's advocate.
If a member(s) of office shall resign, shall
fail to qualify for continued service or shall otherwise cease to
serve prior to the expiration of an appointed term, the vacancy(ies)
thereby created shall be filled by the person(s) or by the body which
appointed the member(s) whose discontinued service creates the vacancy(ies).
No member of the Office of the Citizen's Advocate shall be removed from office by any elected or appointed official of the Township of River Vale, except if such member shall fail to meet the qualifications and conditions of membership provided in § 3-53 above.
