Willingboro Township, New Jersey

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Willingboro Township highlighted in Burlington County. Inset map: Burlington County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.
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Willingboro Township highlighted in Burlington County. Inset map: Burlington County highlighted in the State of New Jersey.

Willingboro Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 33,008.

Contents

[edit] History

Willingboro was one of the original nine divisions in the organization of Burlington County, West Jersey, and was originally formed as the "Constabulary of Wellingborrow" on November 6, 1688. At the time, it included present day Beverly, Delanco Township and Edgewater Park Township. The original name of Wellingborough was after the community in England which was the home of Thomas Olive, who led the original settlers into what would become Willingboro Township, but there were other spellings used at different times.

After the establishment of the United States and the State of New Jersey, the community was formally incorporated as "Willingborough Township" on February 21, 1798, by the New Jersey Legislature when it enacted "An Act incorporating the Inhabitants of Townships, designating their Powers, and regulating their Meetings", P.L.1798, p. 289. This makes Willingboro one of the oldest Townships in the State.

In the 1950s and 1960s Willingboro was the location for a massive residential development by Abraham Levitt and Sons. The name was changed by the voters, by referendum held on November 3, 1959 to "Levittown Township." Willingboro is less than 12 miles from Levittown, Pennsylvania and this occasionally caused confusion. After a referendum was held on the issue, the name was changed back to Willingboro in a referendum held on November 12, 1963.

Sociologist Herbert J. Gans used Willingboro as the subject of his 1967 book The Levittowners.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 20.8 km² (8.0 mi²). 19.9 km² (7.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.3 mi²) of it (4.11%) is water.

Willingboro Township borders Edgewater Park Township, Burlington Township, Westampton Township, Mount Laurel Township, Moorestown Township, Delran Township, Delanco Township.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 33,008 people, 10,713 households, and 8,784 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,657.3/km² (4,292.7/mi²). There were 11,124 housing units at an average density of 558.5/km² (1,446.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 24.67% White, 66.71% African American, 0.30% Native American, 1.70% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.62% from other races, and 3.95% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.05% of the population.

There were 10,713 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 18.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.0% were non-families. 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 3.36.

In the township the population was spread out with 27.5% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $60,869, and the median income for a family was $64,338. Males had a median income of $39,963 versus $31,554 for females. The per capita income for the township was $21,799. About 3.5% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.3% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

[edit] Local government

The Township of Willingboro is governed generally by the provisions of Title 40 of the New Jersey Revised Statutes and specifically by the Council-Manager form of government as set forth in "The Optional Municipal Charter Law" (known commonly as the Faulkner Act) and the amendments to that law enacted since it was first adopted in 1950.

The Council-Manager form of government was adopted by referendum in November, 1960, after a charter study was conducted. The first Council was elected in November 1961 and the Council-Manager form of government took effect as of January 1, 1962.

Under this form of government, the Township Council is the elected governing body of the municipality. Members of the Township Council are elected to four-year terms at the general election in November. Elections are held every two years, in odd-numbered years. Two members of the Council are elected at one election, for example in 2005, to serve four-year terms, and three members of the Council are elected at the next Council election, in 2007, also to serve four-year terms.

The Council members annually elect from among themselves one member of the Council to serve as Mayor and another member of the Council to serve as Deputy Mayor. Traditionally, the Council members have rotated the positions of Mayor and Deputy Mayor among the Council members.

The Members of the Willingboro Township Council are Mayor Jeffrey E. Ramsey, Deputy Mayor Jacqueline Jennings, James Ayrer, Eddie Campbell, Jr., and Paul Stephenson.[1]

[edit] Federal, state and county representation

Willingboro Township is in the Third Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 7th Legislative District.[2]

New Jersey's Third Congressional District, covering portions of Burlington County, Camden County and Ocean County, is represented by Jim Saxton (R, Mount Holly). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Hoboken).

The 7th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Diane B. Allen (R, Burlington) and in the Assembly by Herb Conaway (D, Delran) and Jack Conners (D, Delran). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Burlington County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders. Burlington County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director James K. Wujcik, Deputy Freeholder Director William S. Haines, Jr., Dawn Marie Addiego, Vincent R. Farias and Aubrey A. Fenton.

[edit] Education

The Willingboro Township Public Schools serves students in Pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The district consists of:

Elementary Schools (PreK-5)

Upper Elementary School (5-6)

Middle School (7-8)

High School (9-12)

S.W. Bookbinder Elementary, J.A. McGinley Elementary, and Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary have been closed as part of the district's dedication to a balanced budget.

[edit] Notable natives

[edit] References

  1. ^ Township Council Members, accessed September 3, 2006
  2. ^ League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 66, accessed August 30, 2006

[edit] External links

Municipalities of Burlington County, New Jersey
(County Seat: Mount Holly)
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Boroughs Fieldsboro | Medford Lakes | Palmyra | Pemberton | Riverton | Wrightstown
Cities Beverly | Bordentown | Burlington
Townships

Bass River | Bordentown | Burlington | Chesterfield | Cinnaminson | Delanco | Delran | Eastampton | Edgewater Park | Evesham | Florence | Hainesport | Lumberton | Mansfield | Maple Shade | Medford | Moorestown | Mount Holly | Mount Laurel | New Hanover | North Hanover | Pemberton | Riverside | Shamong | Southampton | Springfield | Tabernacle | Washington | Westampton | Willingboro | Woodland
CDPs and other Communities Browns Mills | Chatsworth | Country Lake Estates | Florence-Roebling | Fort Dix | Leisuretowne | Marlton CDP | McGuire Air Force Base | Moorestown-Lenola | Pemberton Heights | Presidential Lakes Estates | Ramblewood
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