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S3619
SENATE, No. 3619
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026
Sponsored by:
Senator� ANTHONY M. BUCCO
District 25 (Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
���� Creates alternate voting members on county
agriculture development boards.�
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
creating alternate voting members on county
agriculture development boards and amending P.L.1983, c.32.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� Section 7 of P.L.1983,
c.32 (C.4:1C-14) is amended to read as follows:
���� 7.��� a.� The governing body
of any county may, by resolution duly adopted, establish a public body under
the name and style of
[
"The
County
]
the "County
Agriculture Development Board," with all or any
significant part of the name of the county inserted.� Every board shall consist
of three non-voting members as follows: a representative of the county planning
board; a representative of the local soil conservation district; and the county
agent of the New Jersey Cooperative Extension Service whose jurisdiction
encompasses the boundaries of the county; and seven voting members
and two
alternate members
who shall be residents of the county
[
, four of whom
]
. Four of
the voting members and one alternate member
shall be actively engaged in
farming,
[
the
majority
]
of whom
at least three of the four voting members
shall own a portion of
the land they farm
[
,
]
;
and
three of
[
whom
]
the voting
members and one alternate member
shall represent the general public,
appointed by the board of chosen freeholders, or, in the counties operating
under the county executive plan or county supervisor plan pursuant to the
provisions of the "Optional County Charter Law," P.L.1972, c.154
(C.40:41A-1 et seq.), by the county executive, or the county supervisor, as the
case may be, with the advice and consent of the board of chosen freeholders.�
With respect to the
four voting
members actively engaged in farming
and
one alternate member actively engaged in farming
, the county board of
agriculture shall recommend to the board of chosen freeholders, the county
executive or the county supervisor, as appropriate, a list of potential
candidates
[
and
their alternates
]
to be considered for each appointment.�
Alternate members may participate in
discussions of the proceedings but shall vote only in the absence or
disqualification of a voting member.� The alternate member actively engaged in
farming shall only be eligible to vote in place of a voting member actively
engaged in farming, and the alternate member representing the general public
shall only be eligible to vote in place of a voting member representing the
general public.� A vote shall not be delayed in order that a voting member may
vote instead of an alternate member.
���� b.��� Of the seven members
first to be appointed, three shall be appointed for terms of two years, two for
terms of three years, and two for terms of four years.� Thereafter, all
appointments shall be made for terms of four years.�
The alternate members
shall be appointed for terms of four years.
� Each of these members shall
hold office for the term of the appointment and until a successor shall have
been appointed and qualified.� Any vacancy in the membership occurring other
than by expiration of term shall be filled in the same manner as the original
appointment but for the unexpired term only.
���� c.���� The board of chosen
freeholders, county executive or county supervisor, as appropriate, may appoint
such other advisory members to the board as they may deem appropriate.
���� d.��� Members of the board
shall receive no compensation but the appointive members may, subject to the
limits of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for these purposes, be
reimbursed for expenses actually incurred in attending meetings of the board
and in performance of their duties as members thereof.
���� e.���� The board shall meet as
soon as may be practicable following the appointment of its members and shall
elect a chairman from among its members and establish procedures for the
conduct of regular and special meetings, provided that all meetings are conducted
in accordance with the provisions of the "
Senator Byron M. Baer
Open Public Meetings Act," P.L.1975, c.231 (C.10:4-6 et seq.).� The
chairman shall serve for a term of one year and may be reelected.
���� f.���� The chairman shall
appoint three
voting
members actively engaged in farming
and one
alternate member actively engaged in farming
to serve with the
representatives of the general public for the purpose of mediating disputes
pursuant to the provisions of section 19 of
[
this
act
]
P.L.1983,
c.32 (C.4:1C-26)
.
���� g.��� Notwithstanding the
provisions of subsections a. and b. of this section, any public body
established by the governing body of any county prior to May 3, 1982 which was
established to carry out functions substantially similar to the functions of
boards pursuant to this act and which proposes to apply for grants pursuant
hereto may carry out the functions authorized herein, provided that within five
years following the effective date of this act those boards established prior
to May 3, 1982 shall reorganize so that the board reflects no more than a
simple majority of members actively engaged in farming or equal representation
of the general public and those actively engaged in farming.
(cf: P.L.1993, c.19, s.1)�
���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect on the first day of the third month next following the date of
enactment.
STATEMENT
���� This bill amends the
�Agriculture Retention and Development Act� by creating alternate members on
County Agriculture Development Boards (CADB) who are able to vote in the
absence or disqualification of a voting member, enabling a CADB to increasingly
reach quorum and help reduce or eliminate the conflict of interest between
members, and allowing a CADB to move forward with its duties.
���� This bill would require each
CADB to have two alternate members, one of whom represents the general public
and one of whom is actively engaged in farming.� These alternate members would
each serve for a term of four years and may vote in place of an appointed
voting member of their respective appointment background, should a voting
member be absent or disqualified.� The alternate voting member may participate
in discussions of the proceedings when not voting.
���� The alternate member with a
farming background would be appointed in the same manner as the four members
actively engaged in farming, and the alternate member representing the general
public would be appointed in the same manner as the three members representing
the general public.
���� The agricultural community in
New Jersey is relatively small in comparison to the State�s population and, as
such, conflicts of interest often arise among CADB members, thereby impacting
the ability of a CADB to obtain a quorum and inhibiting the ability of the CADB
to continue the mission and work assigned to it by the �Agricultural Retention
and Development Act.�