Municipal Manager

Nicholas Saros
Email Nicholas Saros

510 Route 46 West
Teterboro, NJ 07608
Phone: 201-288-1200 

The 1923 Municipal Manager Form of Government (NJSA 40-39-1 et seq.) This form is the early predecessor to the Faulkner Act’s Council-Manager form and is reflective of the Progressive effort to bring a more business like, professional approach to local government. In effect, this form separated policy making (council) from policy implementation (manager). By law, a municipality can adopt through a referendum, a three, five or seven-member council, elected at large in nonpartisan elections. The mayor is selected from the council but the duties associated with the title are essentially limited to presiding over and voting with the council and a handful of appointments. The manager serves as the chief executive of the municipality. The manager ideally is politically neutral and operates the municipality in a businesslike manner. The manager prepares the budget for the council, oversees the negotiation and implementation of contracts and handles most personnel matters. With the passage of the Faulkner Act, municipalities have drifted away from this form towards the OMCL Council Manager Form. Today, seven municipalities operate under this form.