Township (New Jersey)

Last updated July 21, 2024

A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township in New Jersey is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village. They collect property taxes and provide services such as maintaining roads, garbage collection, water, sewer, schools, police and fire protection. The Township form of local government is used by 27% of New Jersey municipalities; however, slightly over 50% of the state's population resides within them.

Townships in New Jersey differ from townships elsewhere in the United States. In many states, townships can be an intermediate form of government, between county government and municipalities that are subordinate parts of the township, with different government responsibilities allocated at each level. In New Jersey, there are no subordinate municipalities located within a township, as townships are equivalent to all other forms of local municipalities.

Municipalities in New Jersey may be classified into one of five types, of which townships are one. Townships may retain the township form of government, or adopt one of the modern forms of government, which are not restricted to a particular type of municipality. In New Jersey, a municipality's name (such as X Township) is not necessarily an indication of its form of government.

In New Jersey, the township form of government consists of a three to five-member township committee usually elected at-large in partisan elections. At its organization meeting, held after an election, the committee selects one of its elected members to serve as mayor and preside at meetings. The other members of the township committee serve as commissioners of various township departments, overseeing the work of those areas along with overall legislative issues. Some mayors in this form of government also oversee specific departments. The mayor in this form of government is primarily ceremonial and has the same power as other township committee members. The mayor does hold the powers vested in all mayors under state law. One township committee member is elected deputy mayor each year. Some towns with this form of government rotate the mayor's office each year, while others elect the same mayor for 2–3 years in a row. Out of the 240 townships in the state, the township form of government is used by 140. On road signs, township is often abbreviated TWP or Twp. Some official documents abbreviate it as "Twsp."

History

Historically, a variety of legislation has been passed by the state legislature that has defined and refined the township form of municipal government:

The Township Act of 1798 was the first state legislation to incorporate municipalities. The government defined was a form of direct democracy, similar to the New England town meeting, in which the vote was available to all white males, at least 21 years old, who were citizens of New Jersey, and residents of the township for at least six months; and who paid taxes in the township, or who owned land, or rented a home in the township for a rent of at least five dollars a year. A group of five freeholders was elected to one-year terms on the Township Committee, which was responsible to oversee the expenditure of revenue in between town meetings.

The Township Act of 1899 abolished the town meeting and strengthened the role of the Township Committee, which was initially set at three and amended to allow for expansion to five members. Members were elected for staggered three-year terms.

The Home Rule Act of 1917 legally defined the term "municipality" and recognized five types of government: borough, township, city, town, and village and granted each equal legal standing.

The Township Act of 1989 simplified the much-amended Act of 1899. It retains a three or five member township committee serving staggered terms, whose members are generally elected at-large. The committee elects a mayor from among its members to serve a one-year term. Partisan elections are allowed under this law. Voters may initiate a referendum to change the membership to consist of either 3 or 5 members. While many township committees directly supervise the operation of their municipality, the revised act allows the committee to delegate all or a portion of its responsibilities to an appointed municipal administrator.

A number of municipalities changed to the Township type, or the Township form of government, between 1979 and 1982.^[1] A federal law, The State and Local Fiscal Assistance Act of 1972 provided funding to the states to be divided between state and municipal governments. In 1981, states were removed from the program and the law was amended to provide direct grants to the most popular form of local government in the United States - townships.^[1] In Essex County alone, 11 municipal governments changed their form or name to take advantage of the program.^[1]

List of Townships

There are a total of 240 townships in the state, including:^[2]

Related Research Articles

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North Hanover Township is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 7,963, an increase of 285 (+3.7%) from the 2010 census count of 7,678, which in turn reflected an increase of 331 (+4.5%) from the 7,347 counted in the 2000 census. The township, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.

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Greenwich Township is the westernmost township in Cumberland County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 771, a decrease of 33 (−4.1%) from the 2010 census count of 804, which in turn reflected a decline of 43 (−5.1%) from the 847 counted in the 2000 census. It is part of the Vineland-Bridgeton metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses those cities and all of Cumberland County for statistical purposes and which constitutes a part of the Delaware Valley.

Upper Deerfield Township is a township in Cumberland County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Vineland-Bridgeton metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses those cities and all of Cumberland County for statistical purposes and which constitutes a part of the Delaware Valley. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 7,645, a decrease of 15 (−0.2%) from the 2010 census count of 7,660, which in turn reflected an increase of 104 (+1.4%) from the 7,556 counted in the 2000 census.

Franklin Township is a township in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 16,380, a decrease of 440 (−2.6%) from the 2010 census count of 16,820, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,354 (+8.8%) from the 15,466 counted in the 2000 census.

South Harrison Township is a township in Gloucester County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 3,395, an increase of 233 (+7.4%) from the 2010 census count of 3,162, which in turn reflected an increase of 745 (+30.8%) from the 2,417 counted in the 2000 census.

Woolwich Township is a township within Gloucester County in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the Philadelphia metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 12,577, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 2,377 (+23.3%) from the 2010 census count of 10,200, which in turn reflected an increase of 7,168 (+236.4%) from the 3,032 counted in the 2000 census. Woolwich Township and surrounding Gloucester County constitute part of South Jersey.

East Amwell Township is a township in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 3,917, a decrease of 96 (−2.4%) from the 2010 census count of 4,013, which in turn reflected a decline of 442 (−9.9%) from the 4,455 counted in the 2000 census.

Pittsgrove Township is a township in Salem County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 8,777, a decrease of 616 (−6.6%) from the 2010 census count of 9,393, which in turn reflected an increase of 500 (+5.6%) from the 8,893 counted in the 2000 census.

Upper Pittsgrove Township is a township in Salem County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 3,432, a decrease of 73 (−2.1%) from the 2010 census count of 3,505, which in turn reflected an increase of 37 (+1.1%) from the 3,468 counted in the 2000 census.

Greenwich Township is a township in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 5,473, a decrease of 239 (−4.2%) from the 2010 census count of 5,712, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,347 (+30.9%) from the 4,365 counted in the 2000 census.

Washington Township is a township in Warren County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 6,492, a decrease of 159 (−2.4%) from the 2010 census count of 6,651, which in turn reflected an increase of 403 (+6.5%) from the 6,248 counted in the 2000 census.

The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.

The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H. Faulkner, former mayor of Montclair, New Jersey and chairman of the Commission on Municipal Government.

Local government in New Jersey is composed of counties and municipalities. Local jurisdictions in New Jersey differ from those in some other states because every square foot of the state is part of exactly one municipality; each of the 564 municipalities is in exactly one county; and each of the 21 counties has more than one municipality. New Jersey has no independent cities, nor consolidated city-counties.

The members of the New Jersey Legislature are chosen from 40 electoral districts. Each district elects one senator and two assemblymen.

The members of the New Jersey Legislature are chosen from 40 electoral districts. Each district elects one senator and two assemblymen.

The Township Act of 1798 is an Act passed by New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, that formally incorporated 104 municipalities in 13 counties in New Jersey. It set standards on format for government of townships. The act was largely replaced by subsequent laws.

References

1 2 3 Karcher, Alan J. (1998). New Jersey's Multiple Municipal Madness. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-8135-2566-2.
↑ "2023 census gazetteer - New Jersey county subdivisions". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 19, 2024.

External links

New Jersey State League of Municipalities

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[karcher-1] 1 2 3 Karcher, Alan J. (1998). New Jersey's Multiple Municipal Madness. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-8135-2566-2.

[2023gaz-2] "2023 census gazetteer - New Jersey county subdivisions". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 19, 2024.

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