Court Opinion

ID: 9763402
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-29 02:44:12.677382+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:29:42.199855
License: Public Domain

FRANCIS, J.
(dissenting in part). R. S. 40:125-3 provides that the town attorney “shall be appointed by the council in the manner and for the [term] hereinafter provided.” In fixing his term, the Legislature reiterated its intention with respect to the appointing power. It said he “shall be appointed by the council for the term of one year, * * R. S. 40:125-30. Moreover, the same statute ordained that a vacancy in the office by reason of “death, resignation, inability, disqualification, removal or refusal to serve” shall be filled by the council for the unexpired term. R. S. 40 :125-8. This power was reposed in the council by L. 1895, c. 113. No one *447suggests that prior to 1932 the mayor had any veto power over such appointment. And no statute has ever qualified that power of the council through specific reference to it.
In 1932 R. 8. 40:133-1, 2, 3 and 4 in most general terms conferred on mayors of towns a veto power over ordinances and resolutions. In the absence of more particularity of language, I would not find a legislative intention to give the mayor authority to veto an appointment which the council had sole power to make for so many years. It seems to me that if such an intention existed, it would and should have been more explicitly expressed. This view finds substantial support in Haight v. Love, 39 N. J. L. 14, 21 (Sup. Ct. 1876), and Erwin v. Jersey City, 60 N. J. L. 141, 145-146 (E. & A. 1897).
In my judgment, therefore, the council’s power of appointment of the town attorney remains unaffected by R. S. 40:133 — 1, 2, 3 and 4. Accordingly, the portion of the Appellate Division judgment which sustains the mayor’s right to veto the council’s selection should be reversed.
Haul and HaNemaN, JJ., join in this opinion.
For affirmance — Chief Justice WeiNTRaub, and Justices Jacobs, Peootoe and SohettiNO — 4.
For reversal in part — Justices FRANCIS, Haul and HaNE-MAN — 3.