Category Archives: NJ Cities Gates services

Neptune was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 26, 1879, from portions of Ocean Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Neptune City (October 4, 1881), Bradley Beach (March 13, 1893) and Ocean Grove (April 5, 1920, until it was found unconstitutional and restored to Neptune Township as of June 16, 1921).[21] The township was named for Neptune, the Roman water deity, and its location on the Atlantic Ocean.[22]

Bernards Township was originally formed by royal charter on May 24, 1760, as Bernardston Township from remaining portions of Northern precinct.[24] It was incorporated as Bernards Township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey’s initial group of 104 townships. Portions of the township were taken to form Warren Township (March 5, 1806), Far Hills (April 7, 1921) and Bernardsville (March 6, 1924).[25] Bernards Township celebrated its 250th charter anniversary on May 24, 2010.[24]

As of the 2010 U.S. census, the township’s population was 27,291,[9][10][11] reflecting an increase of 332 (+1.2%) from the 26,959 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,901 (+7.6%) from the 25,058 counted in the 1990 Census.[23]

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]

Originally known as “Second River” or “Washington”, the inhabitants renamed the settlement “Belleville” in 1797.[24] Belleville was originally incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1839, from portions of Bloomfield. Portions of the township were taken to create Woodside Township (March 24, 1869, now defunct) and Franklin Township (February 18, 1874, now known as Nutley). The independent municipality of Belleville city was created within the township on March 27, 1874, and was dissolved on February 22, 1876. On November 16, 1910, Belleville was reincorporated as a town, based on the results of a referendum held eight days earlier.[25]

Princeton was founded before the American Revolutionary War. It is the home of Princeton University, which bears its name and moved to the community in 1756 from its previous location in Newark. Although its association with the university is primarily what makes Princeton a college town, other important institutions in the area include the Institute for Advanced Study, Westminster Choir College, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton Theological Seminary, Opinion Research Corporation, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Siemens Corporate Research, SRI International, FMC Corporation, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Amrep, Church and Dwight, Berlitz International, and Dow Jones & Company.

Galloway Township was incorporated by Royal charter on April 4, 1774, from portions of Egg Harbor Township, when it was still part of Gloucester County. Galloway was incorporated as one of the initial group of 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. After becoming part of the newly formed Atlantic County in 1837, portions of the township were taken to create Mullica Township (March 13, 1838), Egg Harbor City (June 14, 1858), Absecon town (February 29, 1872), Brigantine Beach borough (now Brigantine city; June 14, 1890) and Port Republic (March 1, 1905).[24]

What is now Nutley was originally incorporated as Franklin Township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 18, 1874, from portions of Belleville Township. Nutley was incorporated as a town on March 5, 1902, replacing Franklin Township.[23][24] In 1981, the town was one of seven Essex County municipalities to pass a referendum to become a township, joining four municipalities that had already made the change, of what would ultimately be more than a dozen Essex County municipalities to reclassify themselves as townships in order take advantage of federal revenue sharing policies that allocated townships a greater share of government aid to municipalities on a per capita basis.[25][26][27][28]