52:27D-503 "Local Unit Alignment, Reorganization, and Consolidation Commission."

3. a. There is established in but not of the Department of Community Affairs, the "Local Unit Alignment, Reorganization, and Consolidation Commission."

b. The commission shall consist of nine voting members: the Commissioner of Community Affairs (or a designee) and the State Treasurer (or a designee), who shall both serve ex-officio; and seven public members, and shall be appointed as follows: one member appointed by the President of the Senate, one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate, one member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the General Assembly, and three members, no more than two of whom shall be of the same political party, appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Of the three public members appointed by the Governor, one member shall reside in a northern county (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Union, Sussex, or Warren), one member shall reside in a central county (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, or Somerset), and one member shall reside in a southern county (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, or Salem). No appointee shall be an elected official of a local unit or county unless that person has significant experience in shared service initiatives and demonstrated success at having implemented such agreements at the local level.

c. Members of the commission shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for expenses actually incurred in the performance of their duties.

d. The members shall be appointed within 60 days following the effective date of this act. The public members shall serve for terms of five years and until the appointment and qualification of a successor; except that in making the first appointments to the commission, one person shall be appointed to serve for one year, one for two years, one for three years, one for four years, and four for five years. The length of the respective term of each member of the first commission shall be determined by lot at the organization of the first commission. A public member may be reappointed. Any vacancy in the membership of the commission shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made for the unexpired term only.

L.2007,c.54,s.3.