Because of all the construction and development in Lakewood, a lot of people have asked Mayor Steven Langert if Lakewood, NJ, is becoming a city. Many people think that if the official population of Lakewood reaches 100 thousand or more according to the 2010 Census, then Lakewood will automatically become a city.
Mayor Langert says, “There are 566 municipalities in the state of New Jersey. Each one of these municipalities falls into one of five types or classifications-borough, township, city, town, village, commission. Besides its classification, each municipality also has its own form of government.”
Lakewood has been classified as a township since its incorporation in 1892 by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature, and its current form of government is a township government. (The township form of local government is used by 27 percent of New Jersey municipalities. -Wikipedia)
Other townships in Ocean County include Barnegat, Berkeley, Brick, Eagleswood, Jackson, Lacey, Little Egg Harbor, Long Beach, Manchester, Ocean, Plumsted, Stafford, and Toms River.
Mayor Langert says, ” It is possible to keep our designation as a township, but change our form of government to one of 11 other types of government. We could switch to a Commission form of government; the Council-Manager Act of 1923 form of government; or a Mayor-Council plan form of government, among others. Until voted otherwise, however, Lakewood will remain a township.”
In a township form of government, voters elect a township committee, the legislative body of the municipality. At an annual reorganization meeting, the first week in January, the township committee selects one of its members to serve as mayor and another as deputy mayor. The other members of the township committee serve as commissioners of various township departments, overseeing the work of those areas.
“I want to thank the League of Municipalities and its Website for the information they have posted about the types of New Jersey municipal governments,” says Mayor Langert.
{Matzav.com Newscenter}
READ with caution- what does the pic have to do the (non) news item. Would be interesting to know who exactly has a financial interest in this site.