a. Any governing body may, in the case of a county by resolution or ordinance duly adopted, or in the case of a municipality by ordinance duly adopted, create a public body corporate and politic under the name and style of “the …………….. municipal utilities authority,” or of “the ………….. county utilities authority,” with the name of said county or municipality inserted. Said body shall consist of the five members thereof, who, in the case of a county utilities authority, shall be appointed by the county governing body, or by the county executive pursuant to section 37 of P.L.1972, c.154 (C. 40:41A-37), as appropriate. In the case of a municipal utilities authority, the governing body of a municipality which is not organized under the town form of government pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.40A:62-5, or the mayor of a municipality organized under the town form of government pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S. 40A:62-5 shall make the appointment. The appointments shall constitute the county or municipal authority contemplated and provided for in this act and an agency and instrumentality of said county or municipality. After the taking effect of the resolution or ordinance for the creation of said body and the filing of a certified copy thereof as in section 7 of this act provided, five persons shall be appointed as the members of the county or municipal authority. The members first appointed shall, by the resolution of appointment, be designated to serve for terms respectively expiring on the first days of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth Februaries next ensuing after the date of their appointment. On or after January 1 in each year after such first appointments, one person shall be appointed as a member of the county or municipal authority to serve for a term commencing on February 1 in such year and expiring on February 1 in the fifth year after such year. In the event of a vacancy in the membership of the county or municipal authority occurring during an unexpired term of office, a person shall be appointed as a member of the county or municipal authority to serve for such unexpired term.

b. (1) Any county governing body may provide by resolution or ordinance as appropriate that the county utilities authority created by it shall consist of seven members. The two additional members first appointed pursuant to the resolution or ordinance shall be designated to serve for terms respectively expiring on the first day of the second and third Februaries next ensuing after the date of their appointment. On or after January 1 in the year in which expires the term of the additional member first appointed and in every fifth year thereafter, one person shall be appointed as a member of the county utilities authority by the county governing body as a successor to such additional member, or reappointment of the additional member, to serve for a term commencing on February 1 of such year and expiring on February 1 in the fifth year after such year.

(2) Any county governing body may provide by resolution or ordinance as appropriate that the county utilities authority created by it shall consist of nine members. The four additional members first appointed pursuant to said resolution or ordinance shall be designated to serve for terms respectively expiring on the first day of the second, third, fourth and fifth Februaries next ensuing after the date of their appointment. On or after January 1 in the year in which expires the term of said additional member first appointed and in every fifth year thereafter, one person shall be appointed as a member of the county utilities authority by said county governing body as a successor to such additional member, to serve for a term commencing on February 1 of such year and expiring on February 1 in the fifth year after such year.

c. Whenever the municipal authority of any county shall certify to the governing body of any county that it has entered into a contract pursuant to section 49 of this act (C. 40:14B-49) with one or more municipalities situate within any other county one additional member of the municipal authority for each such other county shall be appointed by the governing body of such other county as in this section provided. The additional member so appointed for any such other county, and his successors shall be a resident of one of said municipalities situate within such other county. The additional member first appointed or to be first appointed for such other county shall serve for a term expiring on the first day of the fifth February next ensuing after the date of such appointment, and on or after January 1 in the year in which expires the term of the said additional member first appointed, and in every fifth year thereafter, one person shall be appointed by said governing body as a member of the municipal authority as successor to said additional member, to serve for a term commencing on February 1 in such year and expiring on February 1 in the fifth year after such year. If after such appointment of an additional member for such other county the municipal authority shall certify to said governing body of such other county that it is no longer a party to a contract entered into pursuant to section 49 of this act (C. 40:14B-49) with any municipality situate within such other county, the term of office of such additional member shall thereupon cease and expire and no additional member for such other county shall thereafter be appointed.

d. In any county wherein a county sewer authority is reorganized as a municipal authority pursuant to section 6 of this act (C. 40:14B-6), its governing body shall, by resolution or ordinance as appropriate, reappoint the existing members of the authority to terms corresponding to terms of members first appointed to a municipal authority pursuant to subsection a. of this section; provided, however, that, if said county sewer authority has seven members, then the existing members shall be reappointed to the reorganized municipal authority pursuant to subsections a. and b. of this section.

e. The governing body of a county or municipality may provide in the ordinance or resolution creating the utilities authority for not more than two alternate members. In the case of a county utilities authority the county governing body, or the county executive pursuant to section 37 of P.L.1972, c.154 (C. 40:41A-37), shall make the appointment. In the case of a municipal utilities authority, the governing body of a municipality which is not organized under the town form of government pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.40A:62-5, or the mayor of a municipality organized under the town form of government pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.40A:62-5, shall make the appointment. Alternate members shall be designated by the governing body, or mayor, as appropriate, as “Alternate No. 1” and “Alternate No. 2” and shall serve during the absence or disqualification of any regular member or members. The governing body of the county or municipality shall provide by ordinance or resolution for the order in which the alternates shall serve. The term of each alternate member shall be five years commencing on February 1 of the year of appointment; provided, however, that in the event two alternate members are appointed their initial terms shall be four and five years respectively. The terms of the first alternate members appointed pursuant to this amendatory act shall commence on the day of their appointment and shall expire on the fourth or fifth January 31 next ensuing after the date of their appointments, as the case may be. Alternate members may participate in discussions of the proceedings but may not vote except in the absence or disqualification of a regular member. A vote shall not be delayed in order that a regular member may vote instead of an alternate member.

L.1957,c.183,s.4; amended 1977,c.384,s.5; 1979,c.473; 1981,c.412,s.1; 1987,c.213; 1991,c.10,s.1.