There shall be a Department of Administration,
the head of which shall be the Business Administrator.
A.
Appointment. The Mayor shall, with the advice and
consent of the Council, appoint a Business Administrator, who shall
be chosen solely on the basis of executive and administrative qualifications,
with special reference to actual experience in or knowledge of the
duties of the office and who shall serve until the appointment and
qualification of a successor. At the time of the appointment, the
Business Administrator need not be a resident of the Township or the
state, but during the Business Administrator's tenure of office, the
Business Administrator may reside outside the Township only with the
approval of the Council (N.J.S.A. 40:69A-44).
[Amended 5-13-1996 by Ord. No. 96-10]
B.
Full-time position; holding of other offices. The
Business Administrator shall devote full time to the duties of the
office, except that nothing herein shall prevent the Business Administrator
from also holding any other appointive municipal office of the Township
and fulfilling the duties thereof.
C.
Functions, powers and duties. Under the direction
and supervision of the Mayor, the Business Administrator shall:
(1)
Prescribe and require each department and other spending
agency for which Township appropriations are made to maintain records
and produce reports of their respective workload and performance,
expressed in appropriate work units, which the Business Administrator
may prescribe or approve for each of the departments and other spending
agencies.
(2)
Develop and enforce, in cooperation with other directors,
standards and procedures for the most efficient management of the
Township government, not inconsistent with the Charter and ordinances
of the Township.
(3)
Assist the Mayor in the preparation of the annual
budget and maintain a continuing review and analysis of budget operations,
work programs and costs of municipal services.
(4)
Serve as purchasing agent and administer a uniform
centralized purchasing system program as the efficient management
of the Township government may require.
(5)
Serve as chief personnel officer; develop and administer
the personnel systems and all matters pertaining to personnel.
(6)
Subject to the direction of the Mayor, supervise the
administration of each of the departments established by this code
or by ordinance. For this purpose, the Business Administrator shall
have power to investigate the organization and operation of any and
all departments, to prescribe standards and rules of administrative
practice and procedure and to consult with the heads of the departments
under the Business Administrator's jurisdiction, provided that, with
respect to the Department of Law, the authority of the Business Administrator
shall extend only to matters of budgeting, personnel and purchasing.
(7)
Serve as the Affirmative Action Officer or be authorized
to designate the Affirmative Action Officer and oversee the implementation
and monitoring of the affirmative action program of the Township.
(8)
Perform such other duties as may be prescribed by
ordinance or resolution.
[Amended 5-13-1996 by Ord. No. 96-10]
D.
Construal of provisions. Nothing herein shall derogate
from the powers and duties of the elective or appointive officials
of the Township or of the boards and commissions thereof established
pursuant to law or authorize the Business Administrator to exercise
the powers and duties thereof.
E.
Acting Business Administrator. Whenever and so long
as there is a vacancy in the office of Business Administrator, the
Mayor may serve as Acting Business Administrator without additional
compensation, or the Mayor may appoint another suitable person to
act as Acting Business Administrator. Any such appointment shall terminate
after 90 days, unless the Council shall, by resolution, authorize
one or more extensions. The Acting Business Administrator shall have
all the functions, powers and duties of the Business Administrator.
B.
Office of the Chief Financial Officer; functions,
powers and duties. Under the direction and supervision of the Mayor
and Business Administrator, the Chief Financial Officer's duties shall
include, but not be limited to the following:
(1)
Receiving funds entrusted to or under the control
of any department and depositing all funds received in depositories
authorized by resolution of the Council within 48 hours after their
receipt.
(2)
Keeping books and records of accounts for the exercise
of financial budgetary control over each department, office and agency
of the Township government and keeping such accounts as will show
the amount of each appropriation, the cumulative amount paid therefor
and the unpaid obligations and unencumbered balance. The control function
shall also include provision for an encumbrance system of budget operations,
for expenditures only upon written requisition, for the preaudit of
all claims and demands against the Township prior to payment and for
the control of all payments out of any public funds by individual
warrants for each payment to the official having custody thereof.
(3)
Authorizing the payment of bills, claims, demands
and payroll upon the proper certification of the appropriate director
of the amount due and owing.
(4)
Auditing receipts and disbursements of each department
and requiring reports to be made at such intervals as will most efficiently
protect the public interest.
(5)
Disbursing moneys for the payment of claims approved
by a department director and the Business Administrator by means of
checks signed by the Mayor and by the Chief Financial Officer.
[Amended 5-13-1996 by Ord. No. 96-10]
C.
Office of the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall also
serve as the Chief Financial Officer.
D.
Tax Collector. The Tax Collector, prior to appointment,
shall be qualified by training and experience in the administration
of municipal tax collections and tax accounting procedures and certified
by the State of New Jersey. The Tax Collector shall be appointed by
the Mayor and serve a term of four years from the first day of January
next following the appointment or as otherwise provided by law. The
Municipal Tax Collector's duties shall include, but not be limited
to the following:
(1)
Extending each year's tax on the tax duplicate, preparing
and mailing tax bills and maintaining tax accounting records in such
manner as prescribed by law.
(2)
Receiving and collecting all current and delinquent
real and personal property taxes, charging and receiving penalties
and interest and accounting for all collections in such form and manner
as may be prescribed by law.
(3)
Making or causing to be made and certifying searches
for tax and other liens on any real property in the Township as may
be authorized by law and charging and collecting for the use of the
Township the fee required by law for such search.
(4)
Preparing and mailing all utility bills and receiving
and accounting for them in the manner provided by law.
(5)
Performing any and all other duties as the Mayor and/or
Business Administrator or Chief Financial Officer shall assign.
E.
Tax Assessor. The Tax Assessor shall be appointed
by the Mayor for a term of four years from the first day of July next
following the appointment. The Tax Assessor's duties shall include,
but not be limited to the following:
[Amended 4-19-1999 by Ord. No. 99-07]
(1)
Valuing all real and personal property in the Township
for the purpose of assessments and taxation in accordance with general
law, Mercer County Board of Taxation rules, the Charter and ordinances
of the Township, and exercising all the powers of a Tax Assessor pursuant
to law.
(2)
Preparing the tax list and duplicating as required
by law and maintaining adequate records of each and every parcel of
real property assessed.
(3)
Having custody of and maintaining an up-to-date Township
Tax Map and coordinating with the Township Engineer for the recording
thereon of all changes in ownership or character of the property assessed.
(4)
Making all special assessments of benefits for local
improvements.
(5)
Being responsible for all appraisals of property for
any Township purpose, provided that the Tax Assessor may, within limits
of available appropriations, retain outside experts or appraisers
whenever the public interest requires.
(6)
Representing the Township of West Windsor before the
Mercer County Board of Taxation and the State Tax Court and before
such other boards, agencies and governmental authorities as may be
necessary and requisite in connection with the performance of the
Tax Assessor's duties.
(7)
Performing such other duties as may be required of
the Tax Assessor by the laws of the State of New Jersey, Mercer County
Board of Taxation and the ordinances of the Township of West Windsor.
