40A:61-1. Incorporation; Corporate Seal; Change of Name

a. The inhabitants of each of the several cities are hereby continued as a body politic and corporate in law as heretofore constituted and established and shall be known by the name of "the city of ........, in the county of ........" (as the case may be), and the boundaries of the several cities shall be and remain as heretofore established by law.

b. This act shall apply to any city that upon January 1, 1988 is governed by the provisions of the 1897 city law (P.L. 1897, c. 30; R.S. 40:108-1), the 1899 city law (P.L. 1899, c. 52; R.S. 40:109-3), or any charter granted by the Legislature prior to 1875.

c. Notwithstanding the provisions set out in b. above, any city with a special charter granted by the Legislature prior to 1875 shall continue to use such charter to provide the term of office for the mayor, the number of councilmen, their respective terms of office, the number of wards used, if any, and whether they serve for staggered or concurrent terms, until such city adopts the provisions as set out in this law, by referendum of the voters. The city council may, by ordinance, not less than sixty days preceding any general election, call for a referendum of the legal voters of the city on the question of whether the city should abandon its then existing pattern of organization of the council and mayor and adopt the provisions of this act.

d. Each city governed by the laws pertaining to the city form of government shall have full power to sue and be sued and have a corporate seal.

e. Any existing city may, by resolution of the council, adopt a name, as prescribed in subsection a. of this section, and the city clerk shall then file a copy of the resolution adopting the name with the county clerk, certified by the city clerk. After the filing of the certificate the city shall be known and designated by the name adopted, but no suit, proceeding or instrument shall abate or in anywise be affected by any change of corporate name. (Source: R.S. 40:86-2, R.S. 40:142-1, and New.)

L. 1987, c. 314, s. 1.