New Jersey § 40a:14-41

§ 40a:14-41.

No municipality having a volunteer fire department shall establish a paid fire department

and convert its volunteer force into a paid fire department unless and until the ordinance

providing therefor shall have been submitted to and adopted by the legal voters of

said municipality at an election called for the purpose as herein provided. The municipal clerk shall give public notice thereof at least 20 days prior to such

election, by publishing in a newspaper circulating within the municipality, and posting

in 10 conspicuous places, in said municipality, such notice of the election including

a copy of the ordinance for the proposed establishment of a paid fire department and

the conversion thereinto of their volunteer force. The question to the legal voters of the municipality of the adoption of said ordinance

shall be submitted as a public question in substantially the following form: “Shall the (insert the title of the ordinance) be adopted?” The ballot shall contain two squares to the left of the question, one with the word

“Yes”, the other with the word “No”, respectively, to the right of the squares. The ballot shall contain instructions to voters to vote by marking a cross (x),

or plus sign (+) or check mark (✓) in the square according to their choice. If voting machines are used a vote of “Yes” or “No” shall be equivalent to such

markings, respectively. The municipal clerk shall forthwith canvass the returns of the election and shall

certify the results of his canvass to the governing body of said municipality. If a majority of the legal voters voting on the question shall vote “Yes”, the ordinance

shall become operative and the governing body may then proceed to establish a paid

fire department and to convert the volunteer force into said department according

to the provisions of the ordinance. Except as otherwise provided herein, this section shall not be construed to repeal

any existing law, regulating the tenure, hours of service or compensation of the officers

and members of any municipal fire department or force, for the organization or maintenance

of any volunteer company or department therein, or providing for the creation or maintenance

of fire districts therein.