Office of Municipal Clerk

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

Key Responsibilities:

Secretary to the Governing Body

Prepares meeting agenda at the discretion of the Governing Body
Attends all meetings of the Governing Body
Keeps an official record of the proceedings of every meeting
Retains the original copies of all minutes, ordinances and resolutions
Processes, records, files, advertises 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 of the Municipal Corporation

Custodian of Municipal Seal
Maintains custody of the municipal corporation records
Maintains receipt of service of legal documents
Attests to the signatures of municipal officers and officials

Chief Administrative Officer of Municipal Elections

Certifies vacancies of elected office
Certifies nominating petitions of local candidates
Exercises quasi-judicial authority in determining the validity of petitions
Suggests polling sites to the Board of Elections
Maintains custody of election results
Certifies persons elected to partisan County Committee offices in each election district

Chief Registrar of Voters

Administrative Officer

Issues Business, Alcohol Beverage Control, and Legalized Games of Chance Licenses Applications
Issues assessment search certificates
Coordinates special projects
Serves as information officer to the public and to the media
Directs correspondence and inquiries to administrative departments for action
Conducts business with Administration as needed and as directed by the Governing Body
Prepares bond certifications

Records Coordinator and Manager

Responsible for implementing local archives and records retention programs
Custodian of Government Records
Processes all Open Public Records Requests (OPRA Request)

General Elections and Primaries
Haledon holds General Elections on the same date that national elections are held, the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Voting for national, state, county and local officials takes place at this time.

In NJ the Primary Election is held the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June. Voters select candidates from their own parties whom they want to have nominated for the General Election. New Jersey has what is known as a restricted Primary, that is, a voter must be a declared Democrat or Republican to vote in that Party's Primary. The only way to change party affiliation is to make a signed declaration at least 50 days preceding the Primary. Forms for this may be obtained from the Clerk's office. An undeclared voter may vote by declaring their party affiliation at the polling site.

Vote by Mail
In New Jersey, any voter can now vote by mail for any election. You no longer need a reason to receive an Vote by Mail Application.

Applications for Vote by Mail are available in the Municipal Clerk’s office.

Voters wishing to vote by mail must complete the Vote by Mail Application and mail the application to the County Clerk no later than 7 days prior to the election. A voter may also apply in person to the County Clerk until 3:00P.M. the day before the election. The County Clerk cannot accept faxed copies of an Absentee Ballot Application since an original signature is required.

After the County Clerk receives and approves the Vote by Mail Application, an Vote by Mail Application will be mailed to the voter. The Vote by Mail Application must be received by the County Board of Elections at 401 Grand Street, Paterson, NJ, by 8:00P.M on Election Day.

Municipal Nominations
Each party nominates its local candidates by petition which must be filed with the Municipal Clerk at least 57 days before the Primary. A candidate for local office must have been a resident and a registered voter for at least one year before running. If two or more candidates seek their party's nomination for any office, the choice is made at the Primary Election