If there shall be submitted to the governing body of any municipality a petition signed by not less than 10% of the registered voters of the municipality, requesting the submission to the legal voters of the municipality the question of fixing the salaries, wages or compensation of the members of the governing body or other elective officials, or any managerial executive or confidential employee of said municipality in the amounts stated in the petition, the governing body shall cause the question to be submitted to the legal voters of the municipality at the next general election occurring more than 40 days after the submission of the petition to the governing body.
The result of the vote shall be binding upon the municipality for the following 2 years.
Nothing contained in this section shall be deemed to preclude a referendum vote upon an ordinance increasing salaries, wages or compensation provided by law.
N.J.S. § 40A:9-168