Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • September 14, 2011 Ho-Ho-Kus Best Practices survey inspires educational requirement by Jennifer Crusco The state’s 2011 Best Practices survey has prompted the Ho-Ho-Kus Borough Council to introduce an ordinance that would require local elected government officials to attend educational courses. Ordinance 996 was introduced late last month and will be considered for final passage at the governing body’s Sept. 27 session. If this proposal is approved as introduced, all elected borough officials would be required to annually attend at least one basic course concerning the responsibilities and obligations of local government. Appropriate courses would cover budgeting, policy setting, local government contracting, risk management, ethics, compliance with the Open Public Records Act and the Open Public Meetings Act, and other topics that are considered relevant. The ordinance states that it is in the borough’s interest to have its elected officials attend basic courses on local government responsibilities and obligations so those officials will be properly informed. In addition, the language of the ordinance acknowledges that the state’s Best Practices questionnaire recommends that municipalities require elected officials to attend such courses. “The state’s Best Practices survey asks if the municipality requires that elected officials attend classes,” said HoHo-Kus Borough Administrator Don Cirulli, who worked on this year’s questionnaire with Ho-Ho-Kus Chief Financial Officer Joseph Citro. “To make it a requirement, this had to come in the form of an ordinance,” Cirulli added. Asked about the results of this year’s survey, the administrator reported that the borough was able to provide positive answers to 49 out of the survey’s 50 questions. Cirulli pointed out that the one question to which he answered “no” concerns the specific type of physical exams the borough’s volunteer firefighters receive. The Best Practices survey was implemented by Governor Chris Christie with the goals of improving governmental efficiency and accountability and improving the manage- ment of taxpayers’ resources. The questionnaire, which was first required in 2010, requests information regarding the borough’s general and financial management, public safety, public works, health, energy, and utilities. The scoring of the checklist is also used to determine how much of the municipality’s final five percent of aid payment will be disbursed. Ho-Ho-Kus officials submitted the survey by the Sept. 1 deadline issued to municipalities that operate on a calendar year. Municipalities that operate on a fiscal year have a submission deadline of April 2, 2012. Last year, the survey included 88 questions and allowed respondents to answer “yes” or “no.” This year, the 50question survey could be completed online and allowed for more extensive answers. The state gives municipalities credit for all “yes” answers and for “not applicable” answers if appropriate explanations are provided. Credit will also be given for “prospective implementation” answers. This month, the Ho-Ho-Kus Council is expected to approve a resolution that is related to the recent submission of the 2011 survey.