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RESOLUTION URGING STATE LEADERS TO PASS LEGISLATION THAT WILL AUTHORIZE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO ELECTRONICALLY PUBLISH LEGAL NOTICES IN A NEWSPAPER’S WEBSITE OR DIGITAL PUBLICATION, PURSUANT TO N.J.S.A. 40:20-1
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WHEREAS, the County of Passaic (“County”) is a body politic and corporate pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:18-1 and vested with all rights contained therein; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:20-1, the Board of County Commissioners of the County of Passaic (“Board”) is vested with managing the property, finances, and affairs of the County; and
WHEREAS, the New Jersey Association of Counties adopted a resolution, attached hereto and made part of this Resolution, urging state leaders to pass legislation that will authorize counties, municipalities, school districts, and all local governments to electronically publish legal notices in a newspaper’s website or digital publication; and
WHEREAS, current law requires purchasing officials, clerks of boards, planning departments, improvement authorities, sheriffs, and other local government officials to publish printed legal notices in local newspapers; and
WHEREAS, such legal notices typically include contract awards, contract addendums, public meeting notices, RFP and RFQ advertisements, election announcements, sheriff sales, among other matters of public concern; and
WHEREAS, local government officials have long decried that publishing these voluminous documents in print media is costly, time consuming, and outdated; and
WHEREAS, local government officials have found it increasingly difficult to comply with the notice requirements under current law as the newspaper industry has evolved into an online platform and struggled to retain staff, resources, and publications; and
WHEREAS, legislation that authorizes the online publishing of legal notices will streamline the antiquated process as well as save valuable time, resources, and property taxpayer dollars; and
WHEREAS, this matter was discussed at the June 12, 2024 Administration and Finance Committee meeting, and is being recommended to the Board for approval; and
NOW, THEREFORE, LET IT BE RESOLVED, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40:20-1, the Board of County Commissioners of the County of Passaic hereby urges state leaders to pass legislation that will authorize local governments to electronically publish legal notices in a newspaper’s website or digital publication.
LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Board shall send a certified copy of this Resolution to Governor Phil Murphy, Senate President Nicholas P. Scutari, Speaker of the General Assembly Craig Coughlin, and the clerks of boards of county commissioners in all of New Jersey’s twenty-one (21) counties.
LET IT BE FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Clerk of the Board, County Counsel, County Administrator, and Director of the Board are authorized to take any action necessary to carry out the purpose of this Resolution.
SF June 25, 2024