This act shall be known and may be cited as the Westfield Charter
(1967).
For the purposes of this act, unless otherwise required by the
context:
(a)
"Mayor" shall mean the chief executive officer of the town elected
pursuant to the charter.
(b)
"Council" shall mean the town council of the town of Westfield elected
pursuant to the charter.
(c)
"Administrator" shall mean the chief administrative officer appointed
and acting pursuant to the charter.
(d)
"Officers" shall mean any department head on the full or part time
payroll of the town.
(e)
"Employee" shall mean any person on the full or part time payroll
of the town other than an officer.
(f)
"Charter" shall mean this act, and any amendment or supplement hereto,
and any general law not inconsistent herewith which may be applicable
to the town.
(g)
"Town" shall mean the town of Westfield, in the county of Union.
(h)
"General Law" shall be deemed to be any law not inconsistent with
this act, heretofore or hereafter enacted which is by its terms applicable
or available to all municipalities, and the following additional laws
whether or not such additional laws are so applicable or available
to all municipalities; laws relating to taxation, local courts, education,
health, public authorities serving more than one municipality, and
municipalities in unsound financial condition.
(a)
In addition to such other powers as may be delegated by general law,
and without limitation thereto, and notwithstanding the provisions
of Chapter 125 of Title 40 of the New Jersey Revised Statutes (R.S.
40:125-1 through R.S. 40:125-40), the town shall have full power to:
(1)
organize and regulate its internal affairs, establish, alter,
and abolish offices, positions and employments and to define the functions,
powers and duties thereof and fix their term, tenure and compensation;
and to effectuate these ends and purposes to adopt an Administrative
Code not in conflict with the charter and the general law;
(2)
adopt and enforce local police ordinances of all kinds and impose
fines, penalties and sentences as provided by general law;
(3)
construct, acquire, operate or maintain any and all public improvements,
projects or enterprises for any public purpose;
(4)
sue and be sued, to have a corporate seal, to contract, to buy,
sell, lease, hold and dispose of real and personal property, to appropriate
and expend moneys, and to adopt, amend and repeal such ordinances
and resolutions as may be required for the good government thereof;
(5)
exercise powers of condemnation, borrowing and taxation in the
manner provided by general law;
(6)
exercise all powers of local government in such manner as its
governing body may determine.
The general grant of municipal powers contained in this act
is intended to confer the greatest power of local self-government
consistent with the Constitution of this State. Any specific enumeration
of municipal powers contained in this act or in any general law shall
not be construed in any way to limit the general grant of powers contained
in this act, and any such specifically enumerated municipal powers
shall be construed as in addition and supplementary to the powers
conferred in general terms by this act.
The town may exercise any of its powers or perform any of its
functions and may participate in the financing thereof, jointly or
in co-operation, by contract or otherwise, with any one or more States,
political sub-divisions or agencies thereof, the United States of
America or any agency thereof.
