1. a. Whenever authorized by resolution of the board of freeholders or on petition of the registered voters of any county, an election shall be held in the county upon the question, “Shall a charter study commission be created to study the present governmental structure of. . . county, to consider and make findings concerning the form of county government and to make recommendations thereon?” A petition calling for such an election shall bear the signatures of a number of persons registered to vote in the county equal to or exceeding in number ten percent of the persons registered to vote in the county on the 40th day preceding the most recent previous primary or general election. Whenever such resolution or petition shall be filed with him, the county clerk shall provide for submission of the question at the next general election occurring not less than 60 days after the date of such filing. At the election, the question shall be submitted in the same manner as other public questions.

When a resolution or petition for the creation of a charter study commission has been duly filed with the county clerk, no other such resolution or petition and no other proceedings for the adoption of any other charter or form of government available to the county may be filed unless the voters shall decide the aforesaid question in the negative or until the charter study commission created by the voters shall have been discharged.

b. On and after the effective date of P.L.2020, c.67, for the purposes of P.L.1972, c.154 (C. 40:41A-1 et seq.), the term “board of chosen freeholders” shall be replaced by the term “board of county commissioners” and the terms “freeholder” and “chosen freeholder” shall be replaced by the term “county commissioner.” After the effective date of P.L.2020, c.67, the county letterheads, stationery, and other writings, once exhausted, shall be replaced with new letterheads, stationery, and other writings with the title of board of county commissioners. No later than one year following the effective date of P.L.2020, c.67, the Internet website of a county, shall bear the title of board of county commissioners. Any county signs or other writings bearing the former title of board of chosen freeholders, which would require the expenditure of county funds to update or replace, shall be changed to bear the title of board of county commissioners upon the next update or replacement made in the ordinary course of business.

L.1972, c.154, s.1; amended 1975, c.84, s.1; 2020, c.67, s.3.