The Township Clerk is the secretary to the municipal council, secretary to the municipality, custodian of the township seal, chief election officer of the municipality and the individual responsible for the records management of the township. The office is the information center of the township dealing with the public on a daily basis regarding citizen assistance, direction, or requests for copies of documents in compliance with the government Open Public Records Act (OPRA). In addition, the Township Clerk also maintains the Belleville Revised General Ordinances and the Municipal Council agendas.

The Office of the Township Clerk maintains all documents pertinent to the administration of municipal government, provides support to the Mayor  and Municipal Council, administers elections, coordinates the  research and information services for the public, and is responsible for the records management of the township. As the secretary to the municipality, municipal council and municipal seal, the Office of the Township Clerk is the hub of the municipality which routinely deals with the public on a daily basis regarding the requests for copies of documents in compliance with the  Open Public  Records Act (OPRA).

THE DUTIES & FUNCTIONS OF THE TOWNSHIP CLERK'S OFFICE

The Township Clerk and support staff serve as liaison between the governing officials and the taxpayers. The Township Clerk is charged with the following statutory duties:

Secretary to the Municipal Council

• Prepare meeting agenda at the discretion of the governing body: Be present at all meetings of the governing body
• Keep an official record of the proceedings of every meeting, retain the original copies of all minutes, ordinances and resolutions
• Process, record, file and when necessary, advertise ordinances, resolutions, and municipal budget
• Handles municipal correspondence
• Administers and records Oaths of Office
• Maintains custody of all official records that are not specifically handled by other departments
• Acts as a liaison to the public and correspondent on behalf of the governing body.

Secretary to the Municipal Corporation

• Custodian of Municipal Seal
• Maintain custody of all minutes, books, deeds, bonds, contracts and archival records of the municipal corporation.
• Maintain receipt of service of legal documents.

Chief Administrative Officer of all Municipal Elections

• Certifies vacancies existing on the local level
• Maintains receipt of nominating petitions and certification to the County Clerk of local candidates nominated by petition
• Exercises quasi-judicial authority in determining the validity of petitions
• Conducts drawing for position of candidates on the local ballot
• Furnishes material for local elections
• Suggests polling places to Election Board
• Maintains receipt of election results
• Certifies to County Clerk persons elected to partisan County Committee offices in each election district
• Tallies the votes and certifies election results for local School Board election, Primary and General elections

Chief Registrar of Voters

• Voter Registration Form – English
• Solicitud de Inscripción de Votantes (Español)
• Polling Districts

Administrative Officer

• Issues licenses (ABC liquor, bingo, raffles)
• Handle resident inquiries
• Serve as information officer to the public and to the media
• Directs correspondence and inquiries to various departments for action
• Conducts business with other municipal departments as needed and as directed by the governing body

Records Coordinator & Manager

• Responsible for implementing local archives and records retention programs as mandated by law
• Custodian of Government Records
• Provide copies of Ordinances/resolutions and other information as requested by the public and personnel

Notary Services

The Municipal Clerk's Office provides Notary Services free of charge to Belleville residents as follows:

• Monday-Friday - 8:00 am - 4:00pm

A current identification is required and the documents needing notarization must be signed in the presence of the Notary.

Please do not sign the document until you are in front of the Notary.

About Notaries
Notaries in the state of New Jersey serve as impartial witnesses to the signing of documents, attests to the signature on the document, and may also administer oaths and affirmations. Seals are not required; many people prefer them and as a result, most notaries have seals in addition to stamps. Notaries are prohibited from pre-dating actions; lending notary equipment to someone else (stamps, seals, journals, etc); preparing legal documents or giving legal advice; appearing as a representative of another person in a legal proceeding. Notaries should also refrain from notarizing documents in which they have a personal interest.

Other Services

• Coordinate special projects
• Public inquiries
• Landlord Rental Registration
• Provide street/zoning maps
• Provide copies of Zoning and Planning & Development Ordinances

Voter Registration
Persons wishing to register to vote may do so during regular business hours. ln
addition, 21 days before any election, the Clerk's Office is open until 9:00 PM for individuals who wish to register and are eligible to vote in an upcoming election. The form is available to download in either English or Spanish on our forms section on the right and are also available in this office.

Municipal Council Information & Meetings
Meeting dates are posted on the Township's calendar. The Municipal Council reorganizes each year on July 1st at 12 noon.