What duration does the Governing Body have to act on a petition before the Municipal Clerk must submit it to voters?

The correct answer is based on statutory requirements that govern the actions of a Municipal Governing Body in response to a petition. In New Jersey, when a petition is submitted to the Municipal Clerk, the Governing Body has a specific timeframe within which they must act on it. The law stipulates that the Governing Body has 20 days to either adopt the proposed ordinance or take some other action. If they do not act within this period, the Municipal Clerk is then required to submit the petition to the voters for consideration in a referendum.

This 20-day timeline is crucial as it ensures a prompt response to citizen initiatives, maintaining the engagement between the governing authorities and the residents. If the Governing Body does not respond in time, the accountability shifts to the electorate, allowing citizens to determine the outcome directly. The alternatives of 10 days, 15 days, and 30 days do not align with the established statutory requirement, making the 20-day period the correct answer in this context.