Faulkner Act (mayor–council–administrator)

The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a mayor–council–administrator form of government.

Voters elect a mayor and six council members at large for staggered terms with partisan elections. The mayor serves a four-year term; council members serve three-year terms. An organization meeting is held on January 1. Up to six administrative departments may be created by ordinance. In this "weak mayor" form of government, the mayor votes only to break ties, and the township administrator supervises the departments.

As in all Faulkner Act municipalities, citizens in the OMCL mayor–council–administrator system enjoy the right of initiative and referendum, meaning that proposed ordinances can be introduced directly by the people without action by the local governing body. This right is exercised by preparing a conforming petition signed by 10% of the registered voters who turned out in the last general election in an odd-numbered year. Once the petition is submitted, the local governing body can vote to pass the requested ordinance, and if it refuses, it is then submitted directly to the voters.

The following municipalities have adopted the mayor–council–administrator form of government under the Faulkner Act.

Municipality	County	Note
Berkeley Heights	Union County	Effective January 1, 2007
North Brunswick Township	Middlesex County
West Milford Township	Passaic County	Effective January 1, 2004