| New Jersey municipal government |
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| Traditional types |
| Modern forms |
| Faulkner Act forms |
| Nonstandard forms |
| Special charter |
| Changing form of municipal government |
| Charter Study Commission |
Avillage, in the context ofNew Jersey local government, is one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government.
TheVillage Act of 1891 defined the form of government to consist of a five-member board of trustees to be elected to three-year staggered terms. One member serves as president, one member serves as treasurer. This act was repealed by the State Legislature in 1961.
TheVillage Act of 1989 changed the essence of the Village form of government, essentially eliminating it in all but name. As of January 1, 1990, every village operating under the Village Form of government had to operate according to the laws pertaining to theTownship form. Essentially, the Village form of government is now identical to the Township form, except that the Township Committee and Mayor in the Township form correspond to the Board of Trustees and the President of the Board in the Village form.[1]
Though there are four municipalities with the Villagetype of government, none of them use the traditional Villageform of government. TinyLoch Arbour was the last to do so, but in December 2011, its residents voted to change to theWalsh Act form of government with a three-member board of commissioners.[2] Two other villages –Ridgefield Park (now with a Walsh Act form) andRidgewood (now with aFaulkner Act Council-Manager charter) – also migrated to other, non-Village forms years earlier.South Orange is somewhat unusual, in that it operates with a six-member Board of Trustees and a Village President elected directly by voters,[3] operating under aspecial charter granted by theNew Jersey Legislature in 1869 that has been revised several times since, but that is largely modeled on the Village form of government.[4]