The executive power of the Township shall be exercised by the Mayor pursuant to the Charter and general law.
The powers and duties of the Mayor shall be to:
A. Enforce the Charter and ordinances of the Township and all general laws applicable thereto.
B. Report annually to the Council and to the public on the state of the municipality and the work of the previous year; the Mayor shall also recommend to the Council whatever action or programs the Mayor deems necessary for the improvement of the municipality and the welfare of its residents. The Mayor may from time to time recommend any action or programs the Mayor deems necessary or desirable for the municipality to undertake.
C. Supervise, direct and control all departments of the Township government and shall require each department to make an annual and such other reports of its work as the Mayor may deem desirable.
D. Require such reports and examine such accounts, records and operations of any board, committee, commission or other agency of Township government as the Mayor deems necessary.
E. Prepare and submit to the Council for its consideration and adoption an annual operating budget and a capital budget, establish the schedules and procedures to be followed by all municipal departments, offices and agencies in connection therewith and supervise and administer all phases of the budgetary process.
F. Supervise the care and custody of all municipal property, institutions and agencies and make recommendations concerning the nature and location of municipal improvements and execute improvements determined by the Council.
G. Sign all contracts, bonds or other instruments requiring the consent of the Township.
H. Review, analyze and forecast trends of municipal services and finances and programs of all boards, commissions, agencies and other municipal bodies and report and recommend thereon to the Council.
I. Supervise the development, installation and maintenance of centralized budgeting, personnel and purchasing procedures as may be authorized by ordinance.
J. Negotiate contracts for the Township subject to Council approval.
K. Assure that all terms and conditions imposed in favor of the Township or its inhabitants in any statute, franchise or other contract are faithfully kept and performed.
L. Serve as an ex officio nonvoting member of all appointive bodies in Township government of which the Mayor is not an official voting member.
M. Subject to law, direct any municipal department or division to perform the work, either in part or in whole, of any other department or division and, at the request of the director, require an employee of another department to perform services in the department of the director making such request.
N. Prescribe, in writing, the powers and duties of the deputy or deputies, personal secretary, executive secretary, and assistants to the Mayor.
All ordinances adopted by the Council shall be submitted to the Mayor within three calendar days by the Municipal Clerk. The Mayor shall within 10 days after receiving an ordinance either approve the ordinance by signing it or return it to the Council by delivering it to the Municipal Clerk, together with a statement setting forth the Mayor's objections to the ordinance or to any item or part thereof. Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:69A-41, no ordinance or any item or part thereof shall take effect without the Mayor's approval unless the Mayor fails to return the ordinance to the Council within 10 days after it has been presented to the Mayor or unless Council, upon reconsideration after the third day following its return by the Mayor, shall by a vote of 2/3 of the total membership of the Council resolve to override the Mayor's veto.
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:69A-42, the Mayor shall designate the Business Administrator, any other department head or the Municipal Clerk to act as Mayor whenever the Mayor shall be prevented by absence from the Township, disability or other cause from attending to the duties of the Mayor's office. During such time, the person so designated by the Mayor shall possess all of the rights, powers and duties of the Mayor. Whenever the Mayor has been unable to attend to the duties of the Mayor's office for a period of 60 consecutive days for any of the above-stated reasons, an Acting Mayor shall be appointed by the Council, who shall succeed to all the rights, powers and duties of the Mayor or the then Acting Mayor.
[Amended 12-22-2011 by Ord. No. 2011-26; 9-28-2023 by Ord. No. 2023-43]
The Mayor shall be elected by the voters of the Township in a nonpartisan election to be held at the time of the November general election and shall serve for a term of four years, beginning on January 15 following such election. Accordingly, the term of the Mayor holding office at the time of the adoption of this ordinance shall be extended until January 15 beyond the expiration date of the Mayor’s present term.