Municipal Council of Newark

The Municipal Council is the legislative branch of government for Newark, New Jersey.

Newark was governed by a mayor and common council from 1836 to 1917 and then by a five-member commission until 1954.

Effective as of July 1, 1954, the voters of the city of Newark, by a referendum held on November 3, 1953 and under the Optional Municipal Charter Law (commonly known as the Faulkner Act), adopted the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) Plan C as the form of local government.[1]

There are nine council members elected on a nonpartisan basis at the regular municipal election or at the general election for terms of four years: one council member from each of five wards and four council members on an at-large basis. The mayor is also elected for a term of four years.[2]

Municipal elections in Newark are nonpartisan[3] and are held on the second Tuesday in May.[4] A council candidate seeking a post in a ward must receive more than 50 percent of the vote. If a candidate does not receive a majority, a run-off election is held with the two candidates with the greatest number of votes.

Council members choose their own president and until 2014, when the position was eliminated, vice president.

  1. ^ 2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 125.
  2. ^ The Municipal Council Archived 2013-11-11 at the Wayback Machine, City of Newark. December 4, 2013.
  3. ^ Pomper, Gerald M. (1988), Voters, Elections, and Parties: The Practice of Democratic Theory, Transaction Publishers, ISBN 0-88738-160-X, LCCN 87025466
  4. ^ Moszczynski, Joe (September 26, 2010). "N.J. municipalities consider moving non-partisan elections from May to November". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2013-12-05.