Court Services Partner Needed in Mendham Township

Mendham Township is in the early stages of finding a new partner to share its court services after Mendham Borough opted out of their inter-local agreement, effective the end of the year.

After a member of the public asked about the status of the court services at the June 25 Mendham Township Committee meeting, Mayor Rick Merkt deferred to Township Administrator Steve Mountain.

He explained that the township is currently conducting an outreach effort to other municipalities to see if any would be interested in a merger.

“Our hope is we’ll find a suitable partner so we can continue to share services, but at this point, we are in the outreach stages,” Mountain said. “We have a number of interested responses. We will have meetings and further discussion.”

Mountain added it will take time for the township to give any news to the community.

“It will be at least a month or two before we’ll have any real concrete information to share with the public,” Mountain said. “But those discussions are proceeding.”

After decades of sharing court services with the township, Mendham Borough opted out of their agreement with the township at the end of this year and are entering into a new inter-local pact with Chester Borough, which will start in 2014. 

Merkt previously said that the Township Committee had attempted to reach a solution with the borough but were apparently unable to come to terms.

"I first learned that the Borough might wish to withdraw from the court inter-local agreement last year. In response, the township developed and proposed a compromise adjustment to the existing agreement. However, I just learned last week from (Mendham Borough) Mayor (Neil) Henry that the Borough's government will decide to enter into a new court inter-local agreement with another municipality," Merkt said.

"That is, of course, the Borough's privilege, and I certainly respect their decision to pursue another path that they feel is in the best interest of the Borough and its residents."

Merkt had added that he feels his governing body has time to come up with a solution before the end of the year.

"Obviously, Mendham Borough's decision to terminate the court inter-local agreement will have an impact on our court. At this point, the Township Committee and Administration are investigating the Township's options, whether they be to partner with another community or to see if we could get along with a Mendham Township-only municipal court," Merkt said.

"It will takes some time, which we have, to review the possibilities and identify which option makes the most sense for the Township going forward,” Merkt continued. “It would be premature for me to voice any opinion at this time as to which way the Township is likely to go, but I am confident that we will succeed in identifying and implementing a workable solution within the time frame required."