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How to File a Complaint

This section of the site provides instructions regarding the steps required to file a Complaint with the Council. PLEASE NOTE: In order to file a Complaint, you must be an attorney or other authorized representative of a county, municipality, school board, a county executive or a mayor directly elected by the voters of the municipality.

1. Consult the Council's recently revised Rules of Procedure, including
   • Rule 5, which describes the substantive requirements for Complaints, and the new requirement that filers use a Complaint form that the Council has developed; and
   • Rules 3 (a) and 3 (b), which describes the procedural requirements for filing the Complaint with the Council.
2. Access the Complaint form and read the instructions for completing it in paragraph 3 below. The Complaint form is a PDF document that identifies and provides for all required elements of a Complaint, including the new requirement that Claimants provide an estimate of additional direct expenditures required to implement the alleged unfunded mandate. The Complaint form is a PDF document that may be filed out on a computer, printed out and saved to the computer's local drive (with Acrobat Reader 8 or above), OR it may be printed out as a blank form to be filled in by typewriter or by hand. To obtain additional information about PDF documents and to download a copy of the free software that permits you to view, save and print the Complaint form, please consult Document Format.
3. Follow these instructions to complete the Complaint form:
   1. Sections I(A) and I(B): Both sections must be completed using business contact information only. If you do not have a business fax or e-mail address, enter "none" in the appropriate box.
   2. Section II (body of complaint):
      • Enter information under each numbered paragraph.
      • Identify any attachments that are continuations of Paragraphs II(3), II(4), and II(5) by noting the related paragraph at the top of each attached page.
      • Information entered under Paragraph II(3) and any continuation page(s) will be posted "as is" on this website as the Pleading Summary.
      • Include a resolution of the governing body (or a letter of intent to file if a county executive or directly-elected mayor).
      • Enter the total number of attached pages in the box below the signature line.
4. Sign and date the Complaint.
5. Choose from among the methods or procedures described in Rules 3 (a) and 3 (b) to file the Complaint with the Council:
   • by hand delivery, US mail, or overnight mail service of the original and two copies to the address shown;
   • by e-mail, following the instructions under Filing Complaints by e-mail, followed by mail or delivery of the original and two copies to the Council office within two business days; or
   • by fax to 609-984-9737, followed by mail or delivery of the original and two copies to the Council office within two business days.