40A:9-145.2 Certification as tax collector.

2. a. Commencing on the effective date of this act, the director shall hold examinations semi-annually, and at such other times as he may determine appropriate, for certification as tax collector. An applicant for examination shall furnish proof to the director, not less than 30 days before an examination, that the applicant is not less than 21 years of age, is a citizen of the United States, is of good moral character, has obtained a certificate or diploma issued after at least four years of study in an approved secondary school or has received an academic education considered and accepted by the Commissioner of Education as fully equivalent; has graduated from a four-year course at an institution of higher education of recognized standing, or has not less than two years' full-time experience in tax collection, or has at least one year's full-time experience in tax collection and 30 credit hours at an institution of higher education of recognized standing; and possesses certificates of completion of Municipal Tax Collection I, II, and III courses offered by Rutgers, The State University which courses shall be approved by the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs.

b. For the purpose of this section, experience in tax collection must include experience in the following areas: lien enforcement, tax collecting, tax billing, and reporting, and, shall be attested to by the tax collector of the employing municipality.

c. The proofs required pursuant to this section shall be provided on such application forms and in such manner as shall be prescribed by the director. Each completed application form shall be accompanied by a fee in the amount of $50 payable to the order of the State Treasurer and shall be filed with the director at least 30 days prior to the date of the examination. Examinations shall be written, or both written and oral, and shall be of such character as fairly to test and determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of the person tested to actually perform the duties of tax collector.

d. Commencing with examinations given after the effective date of P.L.1999, c.300, the examination shall be given in sections on the subjects of lien enforcement; tax collecting, tax billing, and reporting; policies and practices relating to tax collection in a municipality operating under a State fiscal year; and any other material as determined appropriate by the director and in sections as determined necessary. The director shall notify applicants of the nature of any such other material at the time the examinations are announced. There shall be no limit on the number of times an applicant may sit for any section of the examination. When an examination section or sections are taken separately, the fee for registering for a single examination sitting shall not exceed $25.

e. A person shall not be required to pass the State fiscal year section of the examination in order to receive certification as a tax collector, except that any such certification shall be noted as restricted to serve in a municipality operating under a calendar fiscal year; and such a person shall not serve as tax collector in a municipality operating under a State fiscal year until such time the person successfully passes the State fiscal year section of the examination. The director shall note that a person has passed the State fiscal year section of the examination by appropriately noting the fact on the person's certificate. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, nothing shall preclude a certified tax collector who, prior to the effective date of P.L.1999, c.300, serves, served, or successfully passed the certified tax collector examination, from being appointed as a tax collector in a municipality operating under a State fiscal year.

L.1979,c.384,s.2; amended 1985, c.9, s.1; 1993, c.25, s.1; 1999, c.300, s.1.