About Adopting an Ordinance
This information is
presented as a brief overview of the procedure for adopting an ordinance. There
are additional rules to follow in order to adopt a bond ordinance and a
land use ordinance which are not covered here.
Consider
the definition of an ordinance as found in N.J.S.A. 40:49-1:
The term
"ordinance" means and includes any act or regulation of the
governing body of any municipality required to be reduced to writing and
read at more than one meeting thereof and published.
Ordinances memorialize the
agreed-upon actions of the governing body. Upon final adoption, ordinances
are incorporated into the existing laws of the Borough and can be found in
the "Borough
Code" available on the Internet.
Operating under State
Statutes, the governing body of the Borough of Madison follows certain
procedures for adopting an ordinance:
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Council may have
discussions in the Public and/or Executive Work Sessions about a
proposed ordinance.
-
Council consensus may
be reached in a Public or Executive Work Session to introduce an
ordinance.
-
An ordinance may be
listed on the Regular
Agenda usually two weeks after Council discussion and consensus..
-
An ordinance may be
"adopted" after introduction and first reading, which may be
by title. The ordinance is now "pending".
-
A hearing date is set
for a meeting which usually takes place two weeks after introduction
and adoption, but may be set for a later date.
-
A "Notice of
Pending Ordinance" is published at least 10 days prior to the
hearing date.
-
A public hearing is
held at which time all interested members of the public have an
opportunity to be heard.
-
After the public
hearing, an ordinance may be amended and "finally adopted"
if the amendment(s) are deemed not to be significant; or,
-
After the public
hearing, an ordinance may be amended, the amendments published, and a
new hearing date set for consideration of the ordinance as amended;
or,
-
An ordinance may be
"finally adopted" after the public hearing and second
reading.
-
An ordinance takes
effect upon publication after final adoption.
Additional actions during
or after the public hearing of an ordinance may include the following: the
public hearing may be continued to another date; the ordinance may be
tabled; the ordinance may be withdrawn.
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Comments, questions and
suggestions for information you want to see here or on any other
department web page would be greatly appreciated. You may submit comments,
questions and suggestions in the form below by typing your comments and
pressing the submit button. Thank you.
Messages
typed and submitted using the above form go to the Borough Clerk and
will be forwarded to the appropriate department where necessary. If the sender wishes a response, sender should include
information in the form as to where the response should be directed.
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