5:10-4 - "New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority"; membership

5:10-4  "New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority"; membership.
4.  a.  There is hereby established in the Department of Community Affairs a public body corporate and politic, with corporate succession, to be known as the "New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority." The authority is hereby constituted as an instrumentality of the State exercising public and essential governmental functions, and the exercise by the authority of the powers conferred by the act shall be deemed and held to be an essential governmental function of the State and the application of the revenue derived from the projects to the purposes provided in this act shall be deemed and held to be applied in support of government.

b.The authority shall consist of the State Treasurer, the President of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, and a member of the Hackensack Meadowlands Development Commission, to be appointed by the Governor, who shall be members ex officio, 11 members appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, one member appointed by the President of the Senate and one member appointed by the Speaker of the General Assembly, for terms of four years.  Each member shall hold office for the term of his appointment and until his successor shall have been appointed and qualified.  A member shall be eligible for reappointment.  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.Each appointed member may be removed from office by the Governor, for cause, after a public hearing, and may be suspended by the Governor pending the completion of such hearing.  Each member before entering upon his duties shall take and subscribe an oath to perform the duties of his office faithfully, impartially and justly to the best of his ability.  A record of such oaths shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State. 

d.The chairman shall be appointed by the Governor from the members of the authority other than ex officio members, and the members of the authority shall elect one of their number as vice chairman thereof.  The authority shall elect a secretary and a treasurer, who need not be members, and the same person may be elected to serve both as secretary and treasurer. The powers of the authority shall be vested in the members thereof in office from time to time and nine members of the authority shall constitute a quorum at any meeting thereof.  Action may be taken and motions and resolutions adopted by the authority at any meeting thereof by the affirmative vote of at least eight members of the authority.  No vacancy in the membership of the authority shall impair the right of a quorum of the members to exercise all the powers and perform all the duties of the authority. 

e.Each member and the treasurer of the authority shall execute a bond to be conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties of such member or treasurer, as the case may be, in such form and amount as may be prescribed by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury.  Such bonds shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State.  At all times thereafter the members and treasurer of the authority shall maintain such bonds in full force and effect.  All costs of such bonds shall be borne by the authority. 

f.The members of the authority shall serve without compensation, but the authority shall reimburse its members for actual expenses necessarily incurred in the discharge of their duties. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, no officer or employee of the State shall be deemed to have forfeited or shall forfeit his office or employment or any benefits or emoluments thereof by reason of his acceptance of the office of ex officio member of the authority or his services therein.

g. Each ex officio member of the authority may designate an officer or employee of his department or agency to represent him at meetings of the authority, and each such designee may lawfully vote and otherwise act on behalf of the member for whom he constitutes the designee.  Any such designation shall be in writing delivered to the authority and shall continue in effect until revoked or amended by writing delivered to the authority. 

h.The authority may be dissolved by act of the Legislature on condition that the authority has no debts or obligations outstanding or that provision has been made for the payment or retirement of such debts or obligations. Upon any such dissolution of the authority all property, funds and assets thereof shall be vested in the State. 

i.A true copy of the minutes of every meeting of the authority shall be forthwith delivered by and under the certification of the secretary thereof to the Governor.  No action taken at such meeting by the authority shall have force or effect until 15 days after such copy of the minutes shall have been so delivered unless during such 15-day period the Governor shall approve the same, in which case such action shall become effective upon such approval. If, in said 15-day period, the Governor returns such copy of the minutes with veto of any action taken by the authority or any member thereof at such meeting, such action shall be null and void and of no effect.  The powers conferred in this subsection I. upon the Governor shall be exercised with due regard for the rights of the holders of bonds and notes of the authority at any time outstanding, and nothing in, or done pursuant to, this subsection I. shall in any way limit, restrict or alter the obligation or powers of the authority or any representative or officer of the authority to carry out and perform in every detail each and every covenant, agreement or contract at any time made or entered into by or on behalf of the authority with respect to its bonds or notes or for the benefit, protection or security of the holders thereof.

L.1971,c.137,s.4; amended 1978, c.1, s.13; 1981, c.335, s.1; 1985, c.500, s.1; 1991, c.375, s.2; 2001, c.456; 2004, c.116, s.13.