[Amended 12-29-1981 by Ord. No. 81-21; 12-26-1995 by Ord. No.
95-12A]
The Township Committee may appoint and employ
a Township Administrator, a Township Attorney, a Township Engineer,
a Township Clerk, a Township Collector of Taxes, a Township Assessor,
a Township Construction Official and Subcode Official, a Township
Physician, a Township Treasurer/Chief Financial Officer and such other
officers as it deems necessary or appropriate. The Administrator,
Assessor, Attorney, Clerk, Collector, Chief Financial Officer, Engineer,
Physician, Construction Official and Subcode Officials need not be
residents of the Township. All such officials shall be duly certified
by the State of New Jersey, in cases where such certification is required.
All other appointed officers and employees shall be residents of the
Township, except as hereinafter set forth. A "bona fide resident,"
for the purpose of this subsection, is a person having a permanent
domicile within the Township and one which has not been adopted with
the intention of again taking up or claiming a previous residence
acquired outside of the Township limits.
A. New full-time officers and employees need not be residents
at the time of their appointments but shall establish residence within
the Township within one year of their permanent appointments.
B. Insufficient resident applicant procedure.
(1) Whenever the appointing authority shall determine
that there cannot be recruited a sufficient number of qualified residents
for available full-time specific positions or appointments, the Township
shall advertise for other qualified applicants who shall be classified
and appointed according to the following preferences:
(a)
Class 1: Residents of the County of Sussex.
(b)
Class 2: Residents of counties contiguous to
the County of Sussex.
(c)
Class 3: Residents of the State of New Jersey.
(d)
Class 4: All other qualified applicants.
(2) The appointing authority shall first appoint all of
those in Class 1 and then those in each succeeding class in the order
above listed and shall appoint a person or persons in any such class
only to a position or positions or employment or employments remaining
after all qualified applicants in the preceding class or classes have
been appointed or have declined an offer of employment. The Township
shall require such officers and employees, as a condition of their
continued employment, to become bona fide residents of the Township
within one year after permanent employment.
C. Whenever the appointing authority shall determine
that there are specific positions and employments requiring special
talents or skills which are necessary for the operation of the Township
and which are not likely to be found among the residents of the Township,
such positions or employment shall be filled without reference to
residency. The appointing authorities shall file with the Township
Clerk appropriate documentation as to the nature of the special talent
or expertise required and of the efforts made to recruit persons of
such special talents or expertise from within the Township.
D. The appointing authority, with the consent and approval
of the Township Committee, may permit any officer or employee to remain
in the employ of the Township without complying with the residence
requirements of this section where the health of any officer or employee
necessitates residence outside of the Township limits or the nature
of the employment is such as to require residence outside of the Township
limits. The appointing authority shall file with the Township Clerk
appropriate documentation with regard to the health of the employee
or the nature of the employment which necessitates residency outside
of the Township limits.
E. Preference shall be given in promotion to full-time
officers and employees who are bona fide residents of the Township.
When promotions are based on merit as determined by suitable promotion
tests or objective criteria, a bona fide resident shall be given preference
over a nonresident in any instance where all other measurable criteria
are equal.
F. This subsection is not applicable to officers and
employees of the Township holding their positions prior to the date
of this amendment insofar as requiring that any such officer or employee
shall become a resident of the Township. However, all such officers
and employees presently residing in the Township on the effective
date of this amendment must so continue to reside or be subject to
the requirements of this subsection.
G. Failure to comply with this section shall constitute
grounds for dismissal.
All appointive officers, except where otherwise
provided by law, shall hold office until January 1 next following
their appointment.
Where a vacancy occurs in any appointive office,
the Township Committee shall fill the vacancy for the unexpired term,
except in the case where the Township Committee grants a leave of
absence to join any branch of the Armed Forces of the United States.
No officer shall hold over in his office after the expiration of the
term for which he has been appointed.