§ 40A:12-11 — Early land acquisition

Any county, by resolution, or municipality, by ordinance, may acquire real property and any estate or interest therein, including a lease with option to purchase, which the governing body shall determine will be necessary or useful for the proper exercise of any power conferred upon the county or municipality by this or any other law, notwithstanding that the county or municipality will not make use of such estate or interest for a period not exceeding 10 years if: (a) In the case of a county or municipality, (1) the county or municipality has adopted a capital budget pursuant to New Jersey Statutes 40A:4-43 to 40A:4-45 which shall include a program or project for the expenditure of public funds for capital purposes requiring, or likely requiring, the acquisition of such real property, and (2) the proposed use for which the real property may be acquired is in conformity with both the zoning ordinance and master plan of the municipality, where such have been adopted, and (b) In the case of a county, the county shall enter into an agreement for payments in lieu of taxes with the municipality, in which case said payments shall not be less than the aggregate amount of taxes paid on all real property acquired by the county at the time of acquisition. Said agreement may be limited to the period during which the county has not initiated the program or project of expenditure of public funds for capital purposes adopted pursuant to its capital budget. During the period prior to the initiation of a program or project for the expenditure of public funds for capital purposes pursuant to the capital budget of the county or municipality, the county or municipality shall have all the powers and duties of a private person for purposes of collection of rents, fees, service charges and the provision of safe, decent and sanitary housing, section 24 to the contrary notwithstanding. Housing facilities in being at the time of acquisition shall be operated, maintained and improved by the county or municipality, or where the county or municipality so elects, by a county or municipal housing authority created pursuant to the Local Housing Authorities Law, (P.L.1938, c. 19). L.1971, c. 199, s. 11, eff. July 1, 1971.