This charter shall supersede the charter of the city of Plainfield
approved April 4, 1872 (P.L. 1872, p. 1134) and shall take effect
on January 1, 1969, subject to the provisions of this article.
A mayor and council shall be first elected under the charter
at the general election in November, 1969, and shall take office at
noon on January 1, 1970. The mayor and common council as constituted
and elected pursuant to the charter of April 4, 1872, shall continue
in office and shall have, exercise and discharge the functions, powers
and duties of the mayor and council, respectively, under this charter
until noon on January 1, 1970.
Officers and employees in the classified service upon the effective
date of this charter shall be transferred to the department, division
or agency to which the functions, power or duties in which they were
engaged are allocated by this charter, without examination and without
affecting existing compensation, pension, or retirement rights, privileges
or obligations of any such officers or employees.
Any department, agency or officer to whom the charter or administrative
code allocates or assigns any powers and duties shall exercise such
powers and duties in continuation of their exercise by the agency
or officer by which the same were heretofore exercised and shall have
power to continue any business, proceeding or other matter commenced
by the agency or officer by which such powers and duties were heretofore
exercised. Any provision in any law, rule, regulation, contract, grant
or other document relating to the subject matter of such powers or
duties and applicable to the agency or officer formerly exercising
such powers and duties shall, so far as not inconsistent with the
provisions of this charter, apply to the agency or officer to which
such powers and duties are assigned by this charter.
No action or proceeding, civil or criminal, pending at the time
when this charter shall take effect, brought by or against the city
or any agency or officer, shall be affected or abated by the adoption
of the charter or administrative code. All such actions or proceedings
may be continued notwithstanding that functions, powers and duties
of any agency or officer, party thereto, may be assigned or transferred
to another agency or officer, and in that event the action or proceeding
may be prosecuted or defended by the head of the agency to which such
functions, powers and duties are assigned or transferred.
This act shall be submitted to referendum, and shall take effect
upon a favorable vote thereon, as herein provided. The question of
adoption of this act shall be submitted to the legal voters within
the city of Plainfield at the next general election to be held not
less than 25 days after its passage.
(a) There shall be printed in the space provided for public questions
on the ballot to be used in such special election the following question:
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Yes
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Shall "An act to provide a special charter for the city of Plainfield,
in the county of Union" to provide a strong mayor-council form of
government, with city administrator for the city, be adopted?"
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No
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(b) If at such election a majority of all the valid votes cast for and
against the adoption of this act shall be cast in favor of the adoption
thereof, the act shall take effect and become operative in accordance
with its terms.
All proceedings of the charter committee of the city of Plainfield,
including the appointment and qualification of its members and the
submission of its report and recommendations, and all actions of the
mayor and common council with respect thereto including the petition
to the Legislature for the passage of this special act, and the time
and manner of publication of notice of intention to apply thereof,
are hereby ratified, confirmed and validated.
All acts and parts of acts inconsistent with the provisions
of this act are, to the extent of such inconsistency, hereby repealed.
This act shall take effect immediately, subject to the results of the referendum under section
8.9. The city clerk of the city of Plainfield shall, following such referendum, forthwith file his certificate of the results of the vote on the public question with the Secretary of State.
Approved July 12, 1968.
Introductory Statement (1968 Charter)
This is a special act applicable only to the city of Plainfield,
for which the city has petitioned upon recommendation of its charter
study committee.
(P.L. 1968, c. 159)
Statement (June 21, 2018 Charter Revision)
This bill revised the special charter for Plainfield. The City Council of Plainfield petitioned the legislature for the passage of a special law to amend the existing special charter for the city, P.L. 1968, c. 159, pursuant to Article
IV, Section VII, paragraph 10 of the Constitution of 1947 in accordance with the procedures established by P.L. 1948, c. 199 (R.S. 1:6-10 et seq.). Notice of intention to apply for the passage of such special law has been published, and the original of the petition, together with a certified copy of the ordinance authorizing the filing of the same, have been presented and filed.
This bill updates the special charter, adopted in 1968, to make
it consistent with, and include appropriate references to, current
law. The bill also modernized the charter in several ways, including
with respect to gender. The bill also establishes a periodic review
of the charter. The bill also clarifies the role of corporation counsel
and adds the officer to the list of officers who can be removed by
the mayor, but be reinstated by council. The bill also allows council
to establish up to five administrative departments in addition to
the three currently required under the charter. The bill also deletes
a charter provision requiring a human relations commission. Lastly,
the bill reduces the percentage of voting age persons signatures needed
to initiate recall proceedings in Plainfield.
(June 21, 2018 Charter Revision, Assembly No. A4220, Senate
No. S2763)