Eatontown, New Jersey


Eatontown is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 Census, the borough's population was 12,709, reflecting a decline of 1,299 from the 14,008 counted in the 2000 Census.
What is now Eatontown was originally incorporated as Eatontown Township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 4, 1873, from portions of Ocean Township and Shrewsbury Township. Portions of the township were taken to form West Long Branch and Oceanport. Eatontown was reincorporated as a borough on March 8, 1926, replacing Eatontown Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 13, 1926. The borough was named for Thomas Eaton, an early settler who built a mill c. 1670.
The United States Army's Fort Monmouth operated in Eatontown from 1917 until its closure in September 2011, based on recommendations from the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. It was home to the United States Army Materiel Command's Communication and Electronics Command. Fort Monmouth was also home to the United States Military Academy Preparatory School, which trains approximately 250 students per year to enter as freshmen at the United States Military Academy at West Point.
In the center of Eatontown is the Monmouth Mall, located at the intersection of Route 35 and Route 36, featuring a variety of stores, restaurants, and a 15-screen cineplex, with a gross leasable area of. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay previously owned a restaurant in Eatontown.

History

In 1886, a mob broke into the jail and removed a black man, Samuel “Mingo Jack” Johnson, who was being held for the alleged rape of a white woman. The mob brutally beat and then hanged Johnson, the father of five. Later events show that it was extremely unlikely that Johnson was guilty of the crime. In 2012, mayor Gerald Tarantolo issued a public apology for the failure of security at the jail.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 5.876 square miles, including 5.826 square miles of land and 0.050 square miles of water.
The Unincorporated community of Locust Grove is located within the borough.
The borough borders the Monmouth County municipalities of Shrewsbury borough on the north, Oceanport to the northeast, West Long Branch to the east, Ocean Township to the south and Tinton Falls to the west.

Demographics

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $60,188 and the median family income was $77,846. Males had a median income of $56,086 versus $43,750 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $35,200. About 6.4% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.7% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 14,008 people, 5,780 households, and 3,444 families residing in the borough. The population density was 2,366.8 people per square mile. There were 6,341 housing units at an average density of 1,071.4 per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 73.29% White, 11.61% African American, 0.34% Native American, 9.32% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.31% from other races, and 3.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.62% of the population.
There were 5,780 households, out of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.8% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $53,833, and the median income for a family was $69,397. Males had a median income of $49,508 versus $35,109 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,965. About 3.5% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Eatontown is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 218 of 565 municipalities statewide that use this form, the most commonly used form of government in the state. The governing body is comprised of a Mayor and the Borough Council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council is comprised of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The Borough form of government used by Eatontown is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.
, the Mayor of Eatontown is Independent Anthony Talerico Jr., whose term of office ends on December 31, 2022. Members of the Borough Council are ouncil President Kevin L. Gonzalez, Margaret Hope Corcoran, Maria Grazia Escalante, Joseph M. Olsavsky, Mark Regan Jr. and Jasmine Story.
In January 2019, Democrat Tonya Rivera was selected from a list of three candidates nominated by the Eatontown Democratic committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by Bridget Harris until she resigned from office the previous month; Rivera served until the November 2019 general election, when voters chose a candidate to fill the balance of the term of office. In April 2019, the Democratic municipal committee selected Gregory Loxton to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that had been held by Lisa Murphy until she resigned from office in March 2019; Loxton also served until the November 2019 general election, when voters chose a candidate to fill the balance of the term of office. In the November 2019 general election, Republicans were elected to fill the two full three-year terms, a single two-year unexpired term and two one-year unexpired terms. The three members elected to unexpired terms took office in November after the results were certified; Palenzuela stepped down from office in December and was repelaced in January 2020 by Hope Corcoran.

Federal and state representation

Eatontown is located in New Jersey's 4th congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 11th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Eatontown had been part of the, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there was a total of 7,669 registered voters in Eatontown, of whom 2,037 were registered as Democrats, 1,490 were registered as Republicans and 4,140 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered to other parties.
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 54.4% of the vote, ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 44.2%, and other candidates with 1.4%, among the 5,349 ballots cast by the borough's 8,184 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.4%. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 66.8% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 31.7%, and other candidates with 1.5%, among the 3,089 ballots cast by the borough's 8,281 registered voters, for a turnout of 37.3%.

Education

Students in public school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade attend the Eatontown Public Schools. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 962 students and 101.5 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 9.5:1. Schools in the district are
Meadowbrook Elementary School with 292 students in grades K-2),
Woodmere Elementary School with 232 students in grades PreK and 3-4,
Margaret L. Vetter Elementary School with 199 students in grades 5-6 and
Memorial Middle School with 220 students in grades 7 and 8.
Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend Monmouth Regional High School, located in Tinton Falls. The high school is part of the Monmouth Regional High School District, which also serves students from Shrewsbury Township and Tinton Falls, along with students from Naval Weapons Station Earle. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 972 students and 91.0 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 10.7:1. Seats on the nine-member board of education for the high school district are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with three seats allocated to Eatontown.
Eatontown is also home to Hawkswood School, a school founded in 1976 that serves the educational needs of disabled students in the area "with complex, multiple disabilities, including autism".

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Monmouth County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
Several state highways pass through Eatontown. These include the freeway portion of Route 18 in the southwestern part of town, Route 35 and Route 36 in the center of town, and Route 71 in the north. Major county roads that pass through Eatontown include CR 537 and CR 547.
The Garden State Parkway, the largest highway in Monmouth County, is accessible just outside the borough in neighboring Tinton Falls at exit 105.

Public transportation

provides local bus transportation on the 831 and 832 routes.

Complete Streets

Created in May 2018, the goal of the Eatontown Complete Streets Advisory Committee is to establish a walkable and bikeable community that is safe and accessible for people of all ages and abilities.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Eatontown include: