Galloway Township, New Jersey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Galloway Township is a township in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 31,209.
The Township of Galloway was created by Royal Patent of King George III of England on April 4, 1774. At that time it was part of Old Gloucester County, and comprised what is now Hammonton, Mullica Township, Egg Harbor City, Port Republic, Brigantine, Atlantic City, and the northern portion of Absecon.
Historians are uncertain of the source of Galloway Township's name. One theory is that is was named after an area in Scotland known as Galloway Mull. An alternative derivation is that the Township was named for Joseph Galloway, a Loyalist delegate to the First Continental Congress in 1774, who was opposed to independence of the Thirteen colonies.
Galloway Township's first inhabitants were Lenni-Lenape Native Americans, who were followed by European settlers. During the American Revolutionary War, Galloway was the site of the Battle of Chestnut Neck (in what is now a part of Port Republic).
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 297.3 km² (114.8 mi²). 234.4 km² (90.5 mi²) of it is land and 63.0 km² (24.3 mi²) of it (21.18%) is water.
Pomona (2000 Census population of 4,019) is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Galloway Township. Other unincorporated areas within Galloway Township include Absecon Highlands, Cologne, Conovertown, Germania, Higbeetown, Leeds Point, Oceanville, Pinehurst, Smithville and South Egg Harbor, and the "Township Center".
[edit] Demographics
As of the census² of 2000, there were 31,209 people, 10,772 households, and 7,680 families residing in the township. The population density was 133.2/km² (344.9/mi²). There were 11,406 housing units at an average density of 48.7/km² (126.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 77.16% White, 9.80% African American, 0.24% Native American, 8.00% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.59% from other races, and 2.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.16% of the population.
There were 10,772 households out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $51,592, and the median income for a family was $57,156. Males had a median income of $38,048 versus $31,167 for females. The per capita income for the township was $21,048. About 4.4% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Government
[edit] Local government
Galloway Township has adopted the Council-Manager form of New Jersey government. This format is regulated by New Jersey law under the Faulkner Act. In Galloway Township residents elect council members, but not the Mayor. Members of Council select one of their members to take the office of Mayor and another to serve as Deputy Mayor. The Mayor does not have any more powers than any other member of the Council. Although the Council is the governing body of the township, the day-to-day operations are the responsibility of the Township Manager.
Council members are elected to serve four-year terms of office. Seats come up for election every two years, with either four or three seats expiring in each election on a staggered basis.
Members of the Galloway Township Council are Mayor Thomas Bassford (R, term ends December 2009), Deputy Mayor William Ackerman (R, 2007), Richard Dase (R, 2009), Alan DeSimone (R, 2009), Mark A. Hanko (R, 2005), David Maxwell (R, 2007) and Meg Worthington (D, 2009).[1]
[edit] Federal, state and county representation
Galloway Township is in the Second Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 2nd Legislative District.[2]
New Jersey's Second Congressional District, covering all of Atlantic County, Cape May County, Cumberland County and Salem County and portions of Burlington County, Camden County and Gloucester County, is represented by Frank LoBiondo (R, Vineland). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 2nd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by William Gormley (R) and in the Assembly by Francis J. Blee (R, Absecon) and Jim Whelan (D, Atlantic City). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).
Atlantic County's County Executive is Dennis Levinson. The executive, along with the Board of Chosen Freeholders, administers all county business. Atlantic County's Freeholders are Francis Sutton, James Curcio, Frank Finnerty (Freeholder Vice Chairman), Alisa Cooper, Joe Kelly, Rev. Lawton Nelson, Thomas Russo, Sue Schilling and Joseph F. Silipena (Freeholder Chairman).
[edit] Education
For pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade, students attend the Galloway Township Public Schools. Schools in the district are Oceanville Kindergarten Learning Center with 174 students in Kindergarten, Pomona Kindergarten Learning Center with 196 students in Kindergarten, Arthur Rann Elementary School with 598 students in grades 1-6, Reeds Road Elementary School with 605 students in grades 1-6, Roland Rogers Elementary School with 575 students in grades 1-6, Smithville Elementary School with 615 students in preschool and grades 1-6, and Galloway Township Middle School with 970 students in grades 7-8.
Students in grades 9 - 12 attend Absegami High School, located in Galloway Township, which serves students from both Galloway Township and Egg Harbor City. About 2,300 students attend the school. The High School is part of the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District, a regional public high school district serving approximately 3,700 in the constituent districts of Egg Harbor City, Galloway Township, Hamilton Township and Mullica Township. In addition,students from the districts of the City of Port Republic and Washington Township (in Burlington County) attend as part of sending/receiving relationships.
The Galloway Community Charter School is a public school that serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school operates independently of the Galloway Township Public Schools under a charter issued by the New Jersey Department of Education. There is no tuition charged; costs are paid on a per-student basis by each of the sending districts, with additional funding provided by the State of New Jersey. The school draws its students from throughout Atlantic County, including Absecon, Atlantic City, Egg Harbor City, Egg Harbor Township, Galloway Township, Hamilton Township, Hammonton, Linwood, Ocean City, Pleasantville, Toms River and Weymouth.
[edit] References
- ^ Galloway Township Council, accessed July 17, 2006
- ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 57, accessed August 30, 2006
[edit] External links
- Township Government website
- Galloway Township Public Schools
- Galloway Township Public Schools's 2004-2005 School Report Card from the New Jersey Department of Education
- National Center for Education Statistics data for the Galloway Township Public Schools
- Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District
- Absegami High School website
- Police Department website
- Ambulance Squad website
- Fire Department website
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(County Seat: Mays Landing) |
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| Boroughs | Folsom | Longport | Buena |  |
| Cities | Absecon | Atlantic City | Brigantine | Corbin City | Egg Harbor City | Estell Manor | Linwood | Margate City | Northfield | Pleasantville | Port Republic | Somers Point | Ventnor City | |
| Town | Hammonton | |
| Townships | Buena Vista | Egg Harbor | Galloway | Hamilton | Mullica | Weymouth | |
| CDPs and other Communities | Collings Lakes | Elwood-Magnolia | Mays Landing | Pomona | Richland | Smithville | |
