Faulkner Act - Forms of Government

Forms of Government

There are four forms available to municipalities through the Faulkner Act:

  • The Mayor-Council form features a mayor with strong powers. Municipalities under this plan establish three to ten executive departments, headed by a director appointed by the mayor with the consent of the council.
  • The Council-Manager plan places complete responsibility for municipal affairs in the council. The council appoints a municipal manager who is the chief executive with broad authority. While the Council-Manager plan is quite similar to the 1923 Municipal Manager Law, the Faulkner Act version does not provide tenure for the Municipal Manager, who can be removed by a vote of the Council.
  • The Small Municipality plan can be adopted by communities with a population of fewer than 12,000. All legislative powers are vested in the council with the mayor presiding over council sessions and having both voice and vote. The Small Municipality form is essentially a blend of the features in the traditional Borough and Township forms of government.
  • The Mayor-Council-Administrator form is largely the Borough form with the addition of an appointed professional administrator. Unlike the three other Faulkner Act plans, the Mayor-Council-Administrator offers no optional variations in structure.

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