A borough (also spelled boro), in the context of
local government
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-l ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, refers to one of five ''types'' and one of eleven ''forms'' of municipal government (in addition to those established under a
Special Charter).
Though it is now the most common form of
local government in New Jersey
Local government in New Jersey is composed of counties and municipalities. Local jurisdictions in New Jersey differ from those in some other U.S. state, states because every square foot of the state is part of exactly one List of municipalities ...
, by 1875 only 17 boroughs had been created, all by special acts of the legislature. These original boroughs were ''subdivisions'' of townships, established by state charter;
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
was the first, established by royal charter in 1740, within the now defunct Elizabeth Township. About half of them had been dissolved, or changed into other forms of government—often cities. In 1875, a constitutional amendment prohibited such local or special legislation.
[Snyder, pp. 23, 237; Elizabeth, for example, was rechartered by the state in 1789, and became a city in 1855; Trenton had been chartered in 1746 and surrendered its charter in 1750.]
Legislation
The Borough Act of 1878 allowed any township (or portion thereof) with a land area of no more than and a population not exceeding 5,000, to establish itself as an independent borough through a petition and referendum process on a self-executing basis. As enacted, a borough would be governed by an elected mayor (serving a one-year term) and a six-member council (elected to staggered three-year terms). The mayor would preside at council meetings, but had no vote except to break ties. This system resulted in a period, known as "
boroughitis", where large numbers of small boroughs were created.
In 1894, the Legislature passed an act requiring each township to have a single school district. A wave of borough incorporations followed, as one part of several townships decided that it would prefer the cost of being a separate municipality to paying for the other schools; this wave was called
boroughitis by commentators at the time.
The Borough Act of 1897 amended the original Act, eliminating the self-executing incorporation feature of the earlier legislation. Henceforth, newly incorporated boroughs (or those seeking to dissolve or increase or decrease in size) required approval of the legislature. The elected mayor and six-member council were retained, with the mayor now serving a two-year term.
The Borough Act of 1987 was created to streamline borough law and clear away amendments, changes and contradictory rules that had accumulated over the century of the Borough's existence as a form of government. The 1987 Act allowed for the delegation of executive responsibility to an appointed administrator.
Traditionally, voters elect a mayor and six council-members at-large in a partisan election. Only two boroughs,
Roselle and
Roselle Park
Roselle may refer to:
* Roselle (plant), a species of hibiscus (''Hibiscus sabdariffa'')
**A drink made from that plant, also called "Hibiscus tea"
Roselle is the/a name of:
; People
* Mike Roselle - American environmental activist and author
; ...
, have ward structures with councils having five ward members and one at-large. The borough system has a weak mayor and the council performs most legislative and executive functions. This form of local government is used by 39% of the municipalities in New Jersey.
See also
*
List of municipalities in New Jersey
References
{{authority control
*
Local government in New Jersey