Village (New Jersey)

A Village in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government.

The Village Act of 1891 defined the form of government to consist of a five-member board of trustees to be elected to three-year staggered terms. One member serves as president, one member serves as treasurer. This act was repealed by the State Legislature in 1961.

The Village Act of 1989 changed the essence of the Village form of government, essentially eliminating it in all but name. As of January 1, 1990, every village operating under the Village Form of government had to operate according to the laws pertaining to the Township form. Essentially, the Village form of government is now identical to the Township form, except that the Township Committee and Mayor in the Township form correspond to the Board of Trustees and the President of the Board in the Village form.

Though there are three municipalities with the Village type of government, only one municipality, tiny Loch Arbour, still retains the traditional Village form of government. Loch Arbour has a five-member Board of Trustees elected at-large for three-year staggered terms of office in partisan elections. Loch Arbour’s Board of Trustees elects one of its members to serve as President for a one-year term of office. New Jersey's two other villages – Ridgefield Park (now with a Walsh Act form) and Ridgewood (now with a Faulkner Act Council-Manager charter) – have both migrated to other, non-Village forms.