Every municipal authority shall prescribe and from time to time when necessary revise a schedule of all its service charges, which may provide a single rent, rate, fee or charge for any of its utility charges and which shall comply with the terms of any contract of the municipal authority and may be such that the revenues of the municipal authority will at all times be adequate to pay the expenses of operation and maintenance of the utility system, including reserves, insurance, extensions, and replacements, and to pay the principal of and interest on any bonds and to maintain such reserves or sinking funds therefor as may be required by the terms of any contract of the municipal authority or as may be deemed necessary or desirable by the municipal authority. Said schedule shall thus be prescribed and from time to time revised by the municipal authority after public hearing thereon which shall be held by the municipal authority at least 20 days after notice of the proposed adjustment is mailed to the clerk of each municipality serviced by the authority and publication of notice of the proposed adjustment of the service charges and of the time and place of the public hearing in at least two newspapers of general circulation in the area serviced by the authority. The municipal authority shall provide evidence at the hearing showing that the proposed adjustment of the service charges is necessary and reasonable, and shall provide the opportunity for cross-examination of persons offering such evidence, and a transcript of the hearing shall be made and a copy thereof shall be available upon request to any interested party at a reasonable fee; or in lieu of providing a transcript of the hearing, the municipal authority may provide any interested party with a live recording of the hearing without cost to the interested party. The municipal authority may provide the live recording to an interested party in an audiovisual format with video and audio, or in a format without live video. The authorization to provide a live recording under this subsection shall not limit any duty of the municipal authority to provide a government record as required pursuant to P.L.1963, c.73 (C. 47:1A-1 et seq.), known as the open public records act. The municipal authority shall likewise fix and determine the time or times when and the place or places where such service charges shall be due and payable and may require that such service charges shall be paid in advance for periods of not more than one year. A copy of such schedule of service charges in effect shall at all times be kept on file at the principal office of the municipal authority and shall at all reasonable times be open to public inspection.

L. 1957, c. 183, p. 652, s. 23, eff. Aug. 22, 1957. Amended by L. 1977, c. 384, s. 10, eff. Feb. 10, 1978; L. 1981, c. 125, s. 2, eff. April 27, 1981; L. 1985, c. 118, s. 2, eff. April 9, 1985; 2023, c.39, s.2.