Local government in New Jersey facts for kids

New Jersey has a special way of organizing its local governments. Every part of the state belongs to exactly one municipality. Each of these 565 municipalities is also part of just one of New Jersey's 21 counties. Unlike some other states, New Jersey doesn't have areas that aren't part of a town or city. It also doesn't have "independent cities" or combined city-counties.

New Jersey's local governments can be a bit tricky because there are five main types of municipalities and many different forms of government they can use. This means how a town or city is run can be very different from one place to another!

Counties in New Jersey

New Jersey is split into 21 counties. Each county is managed by a group called the Board of Chosen Freeholders. This board usually makes the laws and handles the county's daily business.

The number of Freeholders on a board can be three, five, seven, or nine. For example, Warren County, New Jersey is the only county with just three Freeholders. These Freeholders are chosen by voters. Sometimes they are elected from specific areas (districts), and sometimes they are elected by everyone in the county.

Every year, around New Year's Day, the county boards have a meeting. They choose leaders like a director or president. Each Freeholder also gets a job overseeing different county departments.

Some counties, like Atlantic, Bergen, Essex, Hudson, and Mercer, have a special leader called a county executive. This person is elected separately and handles the county's daily operations. In these counties, the Freeholders mostly focus on making laws. Most other counties hire a county supervisor or administrator to manage things. New Jersey counties have some power, but they don't collect taxes.

Types of Municipalities

New Jersey is unique because it has five different official types of municipalities. These types are all equal in their legal standing and powers. This means a "Borough" has the same basic rights as a "City" or "Township."

Even though a municipality has a certain type (like "Township"), it doesn't have to use the form of government that matches its type. A Township can choose to use a different form of government if its citizens decide to.

Borough Government

The borough form of government is the most common in New Jersey. More than 200 municipalities use it. Many boroughs were created in the late 1800s during a time called "boroughitis."

City Government

New Jersey also has municipalities that are officially called cities.

Town Government

The town form of government started in the late 1800s. In this type of government, a mayor is elected by all the voters. There are also eight council members, with two from each of four areas called wards. The mayor leads the council meetings and can vote. The mayor can also stop new laws (veto them), but the council can overrule this with a two-thirds vote. The council is in charge of appointing people to municipal jobs.

Today, only nine of New Jersey's 15 towns still use the original town form of government. Most others have switched to newer, optional forms.

Township Government

The township form of government is one of the oldest. It's run by a group of elected officials called the township committee. This committee handles both making laws and managing the township.

The township committee has either three or five members, elected by all the voters. Each year, the committee chooses one member to be the "mayor." This mayor leads the committee meetings but doesn't have special powers. All decisions are made by the committee as a whole. The committee can also hire an administrator to help with daily tasks.

The township form of government is only available to municipalities that are officially "townships." About 144 of New Jersey's 246 townships use this form.

Village Government

The village form of government was created in 1891. It had a five-member Board of Trustees, elected for three-year terms. The board would choose a president and treasurer from its members. New villages stopped being created under this form in 1961.

While four municipalities are still officially "villages" (Loch Arbour, Ridgefield Park, Ridgewood, and South Orange), none of them still use the original village form of government. Loch Arbour was the last to change, switching to a different form in 2011.

Different Forms of Municipal Government

New Jersey municipalities can choose to use a different form of government than their official type. The state legislature has created several optional forms. Some forms have rules about which municipalities can use them. Municipalities can also ask the state legislature for a special, custom-made government plan.

Walsh Act of 1911

The Walsh Act was passed in 1911. It was designed to help reduce corruption in local politics. Under this act, voters choose three or five commissioners in elections where political parties aren't listed. Each commissioner is in charge of specific departments in the municipality. All commissioners serve four-year terms at the same time. Together, they form the governing body of the municipality.

1923 Municipal Manager Law

The Municipal Manager Law was passed in 1923. Any type of municipality can choose this form of government. A municipal council, with three, five, seven, or nine members, is elected by all the voters, usually for four-year terms.

This council hires important officials like the municipal manager, tax assessor, and treasurer. The manager is the chief executive and is responsible for hiring other officials and preparing the budget. The manager works for the council. A mayor is also chosen from the council members, and their main job is to lead council meetings. Only seven municipalities currently use this form of government.

Faulkner Act (Optional Municipal Charter Law)

In 1950, the state legislature passed the Optional Municipal Charter Law, also known as the Faulkner Act. This law was created to make municipal governments more efficient and professional. It also aimed to create stronger leaders in government.

Under the Faulkner Act, municipalities can choose one of four different options for their government:

• Council-Manager
• Mayor-Council
• Mayor-Council-Administrator
• Small Municipality

Special Charter

A community that feels none of the standard government forms work for them can ask the state legislature for a special charter. This special charter is unique to that municipality. It allows the government to be custom-made to fit the community's specific needs.

Unincorporated Communities

In New Jersey, there are many well-known communities that are not independent municipalities. These are called unincorporated communities. They are part of one or more official municipalities. Even though these communities might have their own unique feel and identity, they are always located inside an incorporated municipality. There is no part of New Jersey that isn't part of an official town or city.

Some of these communities are officially recognized for census purposes, like Somerset, New Jersey, which is part of Franklin Township. Others have their own ZIP Code because they have their own post office, such as Deans, New Jersey, which is part of South Brunswick Township. Some smaller communities were once large farms that later became part of a nearby township, like Middlebush, New Jersey. Sometimes, smaller communities are merged into larger cities, like when Greenville became a neighborhood in Jersey City.