§ 40:33-20 — Municipalities; continuation of receipt of services from free county library; exceptions

Municipalities receiving benefits from the free county library prior to the adoption of a resolution by the board of chosen freeholders to reorganize the free county library pursuant to the provisions of this act shall continue to receive first and second level services from the free county library, except as provided below. On or before September 30 of the year following the reorganization of the free county library pursuant to the provisions of this act, the governing body of any municipality which maintains a free public library and receives first level services from the free county library may, by resolution, notify the county library commission of such county that it will withdraw from participation in the first level services of the free county library to be effective January 1 of the following year. On or before September 30 of the second year following the reorganization of the free county library pursuant to the provisions of this act, and every third year thereafter, the governing body of any municipality which maintains a free public library, receives first level services from the free county library and is in the first third of an alphabetical list of the municipalities in the county may, by resolution, notify the county library commission of such county that it will withdraw from participation in first level services of the free county library to be effective January 1 of the following year. On or before September 30 of the third year following the reorganization of the free county library pursuant to the provisions of this act, and every third year thereafter, the governing body of any municipality which maintains a free public library, receives first level services from the free county library and is in the second third of an alphabetical list of the municipalities in the county may, by resolution, notify the county library commission of such county that it will withdraw from participation in first level services of the free county library to be effective January 1 of the following year. On or before September 30 of the fourth year following the reorganization of the free county library pursuant to the provisions of this act, and every third year thereafter, the governing body of any municipality which maintains a free public library, receives first level services from the free county library and is in the remaining third of an alphabetical list of the municipalities in the county may, by resolution, notify the county library commission of such county that it will withdraw from participation in first level services of the free county library to be effective January 1 of the following year. The governing body of any municipality may, by resolution, on or before September 30 in any year, except as otherwise specifically provided hereinafter, notify the county library commission that it will receive and support first level services to be effective January 1 of the following year. In the event any municipality is a party to a joint library agreement pursuant to Article 2 of chapter 54 of Title 40 of the Revised Statutes in the year prior to the reorganization of the free county library, such notification may be given in the first 4 years following said reorganization only if the governing body of the other municipality party to such agreement consents thereto, or upon the condition that such agreement shall remain in force for the said 4 years. In the event that any municipality is a party to a contract for full library services with another municipality in the year prior to the reorganization of the free county library, such notification may be given in the first 4 years following said reorganization only if the governing body of the other municipality party to such agreement consents thereto, or if the municipality providing library services pursuant to the agreement is unwilling to renew the agreement for the next year for an amount less than 5% above the amount provided for in the current agreement. L.1977, c. 300, s. 6, eff. Dec. 16, 1977.