ASSEMBLY LOCAL GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

ASSEMBLY, No. 1019

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED: MARCH 4, 1996

 

      The Assembly Local Government Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 1019.

      Assembly Bill No. 1019 clarifies that a person serving as the mayor's designee to a municipal planning board must be a citizen of the United States and a resident of the municipality. The bill also clarifies the use of the phrase "other citizens of the municipality," when referring to class IV appointments, to mean citizens of the United States who are residents of the municipality. This legislation ensures that persons serving on planning boards and making decisions affecting the expenditure of public monies have a vested interest in their communities through citizenship and residency. This legislation does not amend the law to require that a Class II member, who is an official of the municipality, be a citizen of the United States or a resident of the municipality. The Class II member's official position in the municipality as, for example, the municipal engineer or the environmental commissioner, gives that official a special perspective on the community which is valuable to the deliberations of the planning board.

      Assembly Bill No. 1019 was pre-filed for introduction in the 1996-1997 legislative session pending technical review. As reported by the committee, the bill contains the changes required by technical review, which has bee performed.