How does municipal government work in Essex County and New Jersey

New Jersey’s 564 municipal governments are responsible for providing local public services to their residents. 

Municipal government in New Jersey can take 12 different forms, and Essex County’s 22 municipalities are incorporated under eight of those forms. Elected councils govern each, and many publicly elect a mayor. But they all perform the same primary function: levying local taxes and overseeing the municipal services they fund. 

The Jersey Bee produced this explainer about municipal government in Essex County and New Jersey to help residents understand the structure and responsibilities of their local elected officials and municipal agencies.

What are the responsibilities of municipal government in Essex County and New Jersey?

Essex County and New Jersey municipal governments oversee local public services. They may include:

• Parks and recreation
• Police and fire departments
• Housing and land use policy
• Health and emergency services
• Courts
• Public transportation services
• Public works like:
  • Waste management
  • Snow removal
  • Road maintenance
  • Water quality testing

Who appoints municipal officials, boards, and commissions?

Elected town or city mayors and councils pass laws, develop budgets, and hire department heads to oversee services performed by municipal staff or contractors. They also appoint city managers or township administrators to manage the day-to-day operations of a municipality.

Mayors are publicly elected in 16 of 22 Essex County municipalities. The mayor is elected by the council in Cedar Grove, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Nutley, and Verona.

Mayors are the chief executive of a municipality. They direct local government by setting legislative and budget agendas, presiding over municipal council meetings, and signing documents like bonds, ordinances, or other contractual agreements.

A mayor and council may appoint local boards and commissions to coordinate between officials and the public. Their focus is on distinct areas of local government. Some municipal boards or commissions in Essex County include:

• Environmental commissions.
• Boards of health.
• Zoning boards.
• Planning boards.
• Library board of trustees.

Municipal governments also appoint the following roles for which training and certification are required:

• Municipal clerk
• Municipal tax assessor
• Municipal financial officer

How are municipal governments structured in Essex County and New Jersey?

New Jersey municipal governments are categorized into types and forms.

New Jersey municipality types are general descriptions like boroughs, townships, cities, towns, or villages. Specific government forms determine the distribution of elected power in each municipality. New Jersey has 12 forms of government: 

1. Borough
2. Township
3. City
4. Town
5. Village
6. Commission
7. 1923 Municipal Manager Form of Government
8. Mayor-Council Form
9. Council-Manager Form
10. Small Municipality Form
11. Mayor-Council-Administrator
12. Special Charter

Essex County municipalities function under either of eight of these government forms. Review the table and additional information below to learn more about your municipal government’s structure.

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New Jersey municipal government is a complicated subject. Help The Jersey Bee improve this resource by volunteering your expertise on the subject. Contact us here or email connect@jerseybee.org to learn about ways to help us explain this subject to our community.