By PETE WALTON
The new Bradley Beach Charter Study Commission held its organizational meeting earlier this week.
The five-member panel will submit a report no later than Aug. 10 after deciding whether or not to recommend a change of government in the borough.
In April, the Borough Council introduced an ordinance allowing for the formation of the commission. In November, voters decided 1202 to 812 to establish a commission.
Eight candidates ran to serve on the panel. Voters chose Tracie Davidson, Refet Kaplan, Linda Maslanka-Duffy, Thomas J. Coan and Donald Greenberg for the five seats.
Kaplan will chair the commission and Greenberg will be vice chair. Coan was chosen as treasurer. He will review the bills and the commission will pass them along to the borough finance department for payment.
The commission voted to request a sum from the Borough Council not to exceed $50,000 for expenses. The largest share of the cost will be for legal counsel. At the organizational meeting, the commission voted to ask the council to request proposals from attorneys to advise the panel.
A secretary will be hired to take notes of the proceedings, which will also be streamed on Zoom and the borough’s YouTube channel.
The next meeting of the commission will take place Thurs., Jan. 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the council chambers. Subsequent meeting dates will be announced sat a later time.
The borough currently operates using the Small Municipality Plan under the state’s Faulkner Act, which establishes various forms of government that communities can adopt.
Bradley Beach began to operate under the Small Municipality Plan in 1992 after a previous charter study commission recommended it. The so-called “strong mayor” form of government is only available to municipalities with a population which is less than 12,000.
Under the present form of government, a mayor is elected to a four-year term of office and four council members are chosen to serve concurrent three-year terms.
If the commission recommends a change of government, voters would be presented with a ballot referendum at the November 2025 general election.
