(a) Assist in the coordination of State and Federal activities relating to local government;

(b) Advise and inform the Governor on the affairs and problems of local government and make recommendations to the Governor for proposed legislation pertaining thereto;

(c) Encourage cooperative action by local governments, including joint service agreements, regional compacts and other forms of regional cooperation;

(d) Assist local government in the solution of its problems, to strengthen local self-government;

(e) Study the entire field of local government in New Jersey;

(f) Collect, collate, publish and disseminate information necessary for the effective operation of the department and useful to local government;

(g) Maintain an inventory of data and information and act as a clearing house and referral agency for information on State and Federal services and programs;

(h) Stimulate local programs through publicity, education, guidance and technical assistance concerning Federal and State programs;

(i) Convene meetings of municipal, county or other local officials to discuss ways of cooperating to provide service more efficiently and economically;

(j) Maintain and make available on request a list of persons qualified to mediate or arbitrate disputes between local units of government arising from joint service projects or other cooperative activities, and further to prescribe rates of compensation for all such mediation, factfinding or arbitration services; and

(k) Post on the department’s website the annual budget and three immediately preceding adopted budgets of any municipality or county that does not maintain its own website pursuant to the requirements of N.J.S. 40A:4-10

L.1966, c.293, s.9; amended 1973, c.208, s.10; 2011, c.7, s.2.