Author Archives: njgate

Lacey Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 23, 1871, from portions of Dover Township (now known as Toms River Township) and Union Township (now Barnegat Township). Portions of the township were taken on June 23, 1933, to form the borough of Island Beach (which is now Island Beach State Park, part of Berkeley Township).[22][23] The township was named for Revolutionary War brigadier general John Lacey, who developed Ferrago Forge in 1809.[24]

Millville was originally incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 24, 1801, from portions of Fairfield Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Landis Township on March 7, 1864. Millville was reincorporated as a city on March 1, 1866, based on the results of a referendum passed that same day.[22] The city derives its name from a proposal to create a mill town in the area.[23][24]

The township calls itself “New Jersey’s Largest Municipality” on its stationery and its website. At 110.90 square miles (287.2 km2), Hamilton Township has the largest land area of any municipality in New Jersey.[1] However, with a total area (land and water combined) of 112.94 square miles (292.5 km2) it is the second-largest municipality in New Jersey, behind neighboring Galloway Township, which has a total area of 114.49 square miles (296.5 km2).[1][22]

The city had the 13th-highest property tax rate in New Jersey, with an equalized rate of 4.598% in 2020, compared to 3.089% in the county as a whole and a statewide average of 2.279%.[22]

As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough’s population was 26,342,[20][21][21][22] reflecting an increase of 605 (+2.4%) from the 25,737 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 670 (+2.7%) from the 25,067 counted in the 1990 Census.[23]

Wall Township was formally incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 7, 1851. Over the years, portions of the township have been taken to form North Spring Lake (May 1884), Ocean Beach (March 9, 1885, now Belmar), Manasquan (December 30, 1887), Spring Lake (March 14, 1892), Sea Girt (March 29, 1917), Brielle (April 10, 1919), South Belmar (March 12, 1924, now Lake Como) and Spring Lake Heights (March 19, 1927).[22][23]

According to the 2010 Census, Randolph was the 3rd most-populous municipality in Morris County and its 21 square miles (54 km2) land area is the 8th largest in the county. The New Jersey State Planning Commission designates Randolph as half rural, half suburban. The community maintains a diverse population of nearly 26,000 residents.[22]

Lodi owes its name to the Italian city of Lodi, Lombardy.[21][22][23] It was incorporated as a borough on December 22, 1894, from portions of the now-defunct municipalities of Lodi Township (now South Hackensack) and Saddle River Township (now Saddle Brook), at the height of Bergen County’s “Boroughitis” phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, based on the results of a referendum held on the previous day.[24][25]

It has been one of the state’s highest-income communities. In 2000, its per capita income of $51,658 was ranked the 35th-highest in the state.[24] Based on data from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey, it had a per-capita income of $67,560, 31st in the state.[25] Based on data from the American Community Survey for 2013–2017, it had a median household income of $162,011, ranked 7th in the state among municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, more than double the statewide median of $76,475.[26]

Cliffside Park was formed based on the results of a referendum held on January 15, 1895, from portions of Ridgefield Township.[20][21] The borough was formed during the “Boroughitis” phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County, as of one two boroughs created in 1895 after 26 boroughs were formed in the county in 1894 alone.[22] The borough was named for its location as a “Park by the Cliffs”.[23]