N.J. Admin. Code § 5:32-2.4

Current through Register Vol. 56, No. 23, December 2, 2024

Section 5:32-2.4 - Renewal of municipal and county chief finance officer certificates

(a) Renewal of a municipal finance officer certificate, except for a municipal finance officer certificate issued pursuant to either N.J.S.A. 40A:9-140.4 or 40A:9-140.11, or county finance officer certificate shall be required every two years, subject to the applicant's fulfillment of continuing education requirements, the submission of an application for renewal, and payment of a $ 50.00 fee payable to the Treasurer, State of New Jersey. Renewal of municipal and county finance officer certificates shall be requested on a renewal form approved by and submitted to the Director.

1. Applicants shall obtain a minimum of 30 continuing education contact hours in the subject areas of accounting, office management and ancillary subjects, ethics, financial and debt management, and budgeting. Said credits shall be approved by the Director as relevant to the subject matter area and the duties of a chief financial officer pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:9-28.1 and 40A:9-140.1.d and this chapter, with the following minimum contact hours for each subject area:

i. Four contact hours in the subject area of accounting;

ii. Four contact hours in the subject area of office management and ancillary subjects;

iii. Four contact hours in the subject area of ethics;

iv. Four contact hours in the subject area of financial and debt management;

v. Four contact hours in the subject area of budgeting; and

vi. For county finance officers, two contact hours in county fiscal operations.

2. If an applicant has earned at least 30 continuing education contact hours within the renewal period, but has not achieved the minimum number of contact hours in a given subject area, the Director has discretion to waive the required minimum upon written application and good cause shown, provided that the applicant has earned at least one contact hour in the given subject area.

3. At the option of the applicant, contact hours in the subject area of information technology approved by the Director for relevance to the subject matter area and the duties of a chief financial officer may be applied toward the 30 continuing education contact hours, required under (a)1 above, in addition to the required minimum contact hours.

4. An individual who holds a municipal finance officer certificate and allows such certificate to lapse by failing to renew shall be required to apply to take the qualifying examination required pursuant to N.J.S.A. 40A:9-140.2, and pay the requisite fee for such application and certificate in order to obtain a new municipal finance officer certification, except that, when an individual applies within six months after the expiration of the certificate, the application may be made in the same manner as a renewal.

5. An individual who holds a county finance officer certificate and allows such certificate to lapse by failing to renew shall be required to submit an application and pay the requisite fee for a new county finance officer certificate pursuant to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 40A:9-28.3(f), so long as the individual's municipal finance officer certificate has not also lapsed. When an individual applies within six months after the expiration of the county finance officer certificate, the application may be made in the same manner as a renewal.

6. Within 12 months after the expiration of the certificate, an application may be made in the same manner as renewal only if the Director determines that a certificate holder is prevented from earning the required continuing education units within six months of the expiration of the certificate. The applicant must demonstrate a good faith effort to earn the required continuing education units within six months after the expiration of the certificate, and that either or both of the conditions in (a)6i and/or ii below made it impossible to obtain the requisite continuing education units. The circumstances preventing renewal that qualify under this paragraph are:

i. A flood, hurricane, superstorm, tornado, or other natural disaster, and a state of emergency has been declared as a result thereof by the Governor; or

ii. A medical event or condition.

N.J. Admin. Code § 5:32-2.4

Adopted by 49 N.J.R. 3671(a), effective 12/4/2017