| Jefferson Township, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
| — Township — | |
| Jefferson Township highlighted in Morris County. Inset map: Morris County highlighted in the State of New Jersey. | |
| Census Bureau map of Jefferson Township, New Jersey | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Morris |
| Incorporated | February 11, 1804 |
| Government[1] | |
| • Type | Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) |
| • Mayor | Russell Felter (term ends 2013)[2] |
| • Administration | James M. Leach[3] |
| Area[4] | |
| • Total | 43.04 sq mi (111.5 km2) |
| • Land | 40.63 sq mi (105.2 km2) |
| • Water | 2.41 sq mi (6.2 km2) 5.60% |
| Elevation[5] | 1,020 ft (311 m) |
| Population (2010 Census)[6][7] | |
| • Total | 21,314 |
| • Density | 495.2/sq mi (191.2/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 07435 - Newfoundland 07438 - Oak Ridge 07849 - Lake Hopatcong 07885 - Wharton |
| Area code(s) | 862/973 |
| FIPS code | 34-34980[8][9] |
| GNIS feature ID | 0882210[10] |
| Website | Official website |
Jefferson Township is the northern-most township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States.[11] As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 21,314.[6]
Jefferson Township was formed as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 11, 1804, from portions of Pequannock Township and Roxbury Township.[12] The township was named after Thomas Jefferson, the President of the United States at the time the Township was created.[13]
Contents |
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 43.04 square miles (111.5 km2), of which, 40.63 square miles (105.2 km2) of it is land and 2.41 square miles (6.2 km2) of it (5.60%) is water.[4]
The township can be divided into two halves, Milton and Lake Hopatcong.[14] Each half has its own first-aid squad, fire department substation, and set of elementary schools. Addresses in the Milton section of the township are classified under the Oak Ridge mailing city, which is shared with a portion of West Milford Township, or in the Newfoundland mailing area, shared with a portion of West Milford and Rockaway Township. Addresses in Lake Hopatcong use either Lake Hopatcong (not to be confused with the Hopatcong mailing city used in the Borough of Hopatcong) or Wharton as their mailing city. The Jefferson Township Municipal Building, Middle School, High School, Recycling Center, and school bus depot are positioned at the boundary between the two halves of the township.
Lake Swannanoa is an unincorporated area located within Jefferson Township.[15]
| Sparta Twp | Hardyston Twp | West Milford Twp | ||
| Hopatcong | Rockaway Twp | |||
| Jefferson Twp | ||||
| Mt. Arlington and Roxbury Twp | Wharton |
A few major roads pass through Jefferson. CR 513 is the only major county road that passes through for a short stretch in the northeast section. State routes include Route 15 (part of the "Sparta Bypass") in the southwest, Route 23 in the northeast (as it crises-crosses along the Passaic county line) and Route 181 in the southwest.
I-80 also passes through very briefly in the southern tip without any interchanges; the closest exits are 33 and 34 in neighboring Wharton.
| Historical populations | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 1,254 |
|
|
| 1940 | 1,548 | 23.4% | |
| 1950 | 2,744 | 77.3% | |
| 1960 | 6,884 | 150.9% | |
| 1970 | 14,122 | 105.1% | |
| 1980 | 16,413 | 16.2% | |
| 1990 | 17,825 | 8.6% | |
| 2000 | 19,717 | 10.6% | |
| 2010 | 21,314 | 8.1% | |
| Population sources: 1930-1990[16] 2000[17] 2010[18][6][7] |
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As of the 2010 Census, Jefferson Township had a population of 21,314. The median age was 40.9. The racial and ethnic composition of the population was 90.6% White, 1.6% Black or African American, 0.1% Native American, 4.6% Asian, 1.5% some other race and 1.6% reporting two or more races. 6.5% were Hispanic or Latino of any race.[18]
As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 19,717 people, 7,131 households, and 5,448 families residing in the township. The population density was 485.3 people per square mile (187.4/km²). There were 7,527 housing units at an average density of 185.2 per square mile (71.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.14% White, 0.83% African American, 0.16% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.62% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.41% of the population.[17]
As of the 2000 Census, 25.7% of residents identified their ancestry as Italian, 22.9% Irish, 21.7% German, 11.6% English and 10.0% Polish.[19]
There were 7,131 households out of which 38.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.5% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.17.[17]
In the township the population was spread out with 26.9% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 33.8% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.8 males.[17]
The median income for a household in the township was $68,837, and the median income for a family was $76,974. Males had a median income of $51,359 versus $37,849 for females. The per capita income for the township was $27,950. About 1.0% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.2% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.[17]
Jefferson Township is governed under a Mayor-Council system of municipal government under the Faulkner Act. The government consists of a Mayor and a five-member Township Council whose members are elected at-large in partisan elections to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with either three council seats or two council seats and the mayor coming up for election every other year.[1]
As of 2011[update], the Mayor of Jefferson Township is Russell Felter, whose term of office runs to December 31, 2014.[3] Members of the Jefferson Township Council are Council President Richard Yocum (term ends December 31, 2012), Council Vice-President Jay Dunham (2012) Robert Birmingham (2012), Debi Merz (2014) and Michael Sanchelli (2014).[20]
In the 2010 race for mayor, Russell Felter defeated Democrat Horace Chamberlain. Township Council incumbents Debi Merz and Michael Sanchelli ran unopposed. In the race to fill the remaining portion of the term vacated by Brooke Hardy, incumbent Jay Dunham defeated independent Kim Finnegan.[21]
Jefferson Township is in the 11th Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 25th state legislative district.[22] The township was relocated to the 26th state legislative district by the New Jersey Apportionment Commission based on the results of the 2010 Census.[6] The new district is in effect for the June 2011 primary and the November 2011 general election, with the state senator and assembly members elected taking office in the new district as of January 2012.[22]
New Jersey's Eleventh Congressional District is represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen (R, Harding Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
25th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature, which is represented in the New Jersey Senate by Anthony Bucco (R, Boonton) and in the New Jersey General Assembly by Michael Patrick Carroll (R, Morris Plains) and Tony Bucco (R, Boonton).[23] The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham).[24] The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).[25]
Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who are elected at-large to three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year.[26] As of 2011, Morris County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director William J. Chegwidden (Wharton),[27] Deputy Freeholder Director Douglas R. Cabana (Boonton Township),[28] Gene F. Feyl (Denville),[29] Ann F. Grassi (Parsippany-Troy Hills),[30] Thomas J. Mastrangelo (Montville),[31] John J. Murphy (Morris Township)[32] and Margaret Nordstrom (Washington Township).[33][34]
The Jefferson Township Public Schools serve students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2009-10 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[35]) are Milton School (PreK, 162 students - covers kindergarten as of 2010-11), Robert F. Drummond School (K, 115 students - closed as of 2010-11[36]), Ellen T. Briggs School (1&2, 263 students - covers K-2 as of 2010-11), Cozy Lake School (1&2, 276 students), Arthur T. Stanlick school (3-5, 396 students), White Rock Elementary School (3-5, 433 students), Jefferson Township Middle School (6-8, 815 students) and Jefferson Township High School (9-12, 1,123 students).
Every year, the weekend following Independence Day, The Jefferson Arts Committee hosts a day of celebration known as Jefferson Township Day (it is colloquially referred to as "Jefferson Day"). Throughout the entire day, entertainment and festivities at the Jefferson Township High School are provided. In the morning, a parade featuring the town’s fire trucks, high school marching band and other local groups march down Weldon Road. After the parade, there are a variety of activities set up on the Jefferson Township High School grounds for participants of Jefferson Day, including children's games, food and craft vendors, and performances at two stages. At night, the Jefferson Township Community Band, directed by Peter Tummillo Jr., performs before the display of fireworks.[37]
The 21st annual Jefferson Township Day was held on July 14, 2007.[38] The 22nd annual Jefferson Township Day was held on July 12, 2008.[39] The 26th annual Jefferson Township day will be held on July 14, 2012 [40]
Notable current and former residents of Jefferson Township include: