40:69A-117.3. Mayor; election by council or by voters; charter provision

Any municipality adopting a small municipality plan of government shall provide in its charter either:

a. That the mayor shall be elected by the members of the council; in which case on the first day of July or January, as appropriate, following their election, the members-elect of the municipal council shall assemble at the usual place of meeting of the governing body of the municipality and organize and elect one of their number as mayor; that the mayor shall be chosen by ballot by majority vote of members of the municipal council; that if the members shall be unable, within five ballots to be taken within 2 days of the organization meeting, to elect a mayor, then the member who in the election for members of the municipal council received the greatest number of votes shall be mayor; and that should that person decline to accept the office, then the person receiving the next highest vote shall be the mayor, and so on, until the office is filled; or

b. That the mayor shall be elected directly by the voters of the municipality at the regular municipal election, or general election, as the charter shall provide; that at the first election following the adoption of the charter, and each appropriate subsequent election, one position of council member to be elected at large shall be designated and voted for under the title of mayor, and candidates for the position shall be clearly designated as candidates for mayor in their respective nominating petitions; and that the candidate for mayor receiving the greatest number of votes shall be elected and shall serve for a term of 4 years.

L.1981, c. 465, s. 34, eff. Jan. 9, 1982.