Long Beach Township, New Jersey
Long Beach Township is a Walsh Act Township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 3,051 reflecting a decline of 278 from the 3,329 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn declined by 78 from the 3,407 counted in the 1990 Census.
Most of the township is located on Long Beach Island, a barrier island along the Atlantic Ocean whose summer population swells to as much as 130,000, including part-time residents and tourists. In October 2012, Long Beach Township was severely affected by Hurricane Sandy, with township mayor Joe Mancini estimating that potential costs to repair the damage estimated as high as $1 billion across Long Beach Island. As a result of the storm surge, flooding and high winds, dozens of homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. After the waters receded, streets were left covered with up to four feet of sand in some spots. Governor Chris Christie issued a mandatory evacuation order on October 28, and it remained in place until a full 13 days after the storm. The township established a Sandy Relief Fund to assist residents in their recovery from the hurricane.
Long Beach Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 23, 1899, from portions of Eagleswood Township, Little Egg Harbor Township, Ocean Township, Stafford Township and Union Township. Portions of the township were taken to form Barnegat City and Ship Bottom-Beach Arlington. The name derives from the length of the island along Barnegat Bay.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Long Beach township had a total area of 22.036 square miles, including 5.444 square miles of land and 16.592 square miles of water.North Beach Haven is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located within Long Beach Township. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include the Long Beach Island communities of Bay Vista, Beach Haven Crest, Beach Haven Gardens, Beach Haven Heights, Beach Haven Inlet, Beach Haven Park, Beach Haven Terrace, Brant Beach, Brighton Beach, Haven Beach, High Bar Harbor, Holgate, Loveladies, North Beach, North Beach Haven, Peahala Park, South Beach Haven, Spray Beach, and the Dunes.
The township is divided into four discontiguous land areas. The most populous, with most of the named places, is located north of Beach Haven and south of Ship Bottom. The Holgate section is south of Beach Haven; most of it is a wildlife preserve. Loveladies and High Bar Harbor form the northernmost, between Harvey Cedars and Barnegat Light. North Beach and Frazier Park north of Surf City and south of Harvey Cedars.
The township borders the Ocean County municipalities of Barnegat Light, Barnegat Township, Beach Haven, Eagleswood Township, Harvey Cedars, Little Egg Harbor Township, Ocean Township, Ship Bottom, Stafford Township and Surf City.
Demographics
Census 2010
The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $77,396 and the median family income was $95,417. Males had a median income of $69,922 versus $59,688 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $63,020. About 2.3% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.Census 2000
As of the 2000 United States Census there were 3,329 people, 1,664 households, and 1,038 families residing in the township. The population density was 627.3 people per square mile. There were 9,023 housing units at an average density of 1,700.1 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 98.53% White, 0.24% African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.33% from other races, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.10% of the population.There were 1,664 households out of which 12.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.5% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.50.
In the township the population was spread out with 11.7% under the age of 18, 3.9% from 18 to 24, 17.9% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 36.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 57 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.2 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $48,697, and the median income for a family was $59,833. Males had a median income of $41,681 versus $31,528 for females. The per capita income for the township was $33,404. About 3.8% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Long Beach Township has been governed under the Walsh Act form of New Jersey municipal government, by a three-member Township Committee, since 1936. Commissioners are elected to serve four-year terms on a concurrent basis in nonpartisan elections, with all current commissioner's terms of office ending on December 31, 2016. The Board of Commissioners passed an ordinance in February 2011 shifting the nonpartisan elections from May to November, beginning as of the November 2012 election., the members of the Long Beach Township Board of Commissioners are
Mayor Joseph H. Mancini,
Ralph H. Bayard and
Dr. Joseph P. Lattanzi, all serving terms of office that end December 31, 2020.
On August 12, 2009, Commissioner DiAnne Gove was selected by Republican county committee members to fill the remainder of the term of Daniel Van Pelt in the General Assembly representing the 9th Legislative District after Van Pelt had resigned after being arrested on corruption charges.
Federal, state and county representation
Long Beach Township is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 9th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Long Beach Township 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 were a total of 2,955 registered voters in Long Beach Township, of which 544 were registered as Democrats, 1,215 were registered as Republicans and 1,195 were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 96.9% were registered to vote, including 107.5% of those ages 18 and over.In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 64.3% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 34.8%, and other candidates with 0.9%, among the 1,844 ballots cast by the township's 3,027 registered voters, for a turnout of 60.9%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 61.3% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 36.8% and other candidates with 1.1%, among the 2,351 ballots cast by the township's 3,132 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.1%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 63.1% of the vote, outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 35.6% and other candidates with 0.6%, among the 2,377 ballots cast by the township's 3,128 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 76.0.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 81.4% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 17.7%, and other candidates with 1.0%, among the 1,570 ballots cast by the township's 2,960 registered voters, for a turnout of 53.0%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 63.7% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 27.9%, Independent Chris Daggett with 6.6% and other candidates with 0.8%, among the 1,833 ballots cast by the township's 3,041 registered voters, yielding a 60.3% turnout.
Education
For Kindergarten through sixth grade, public school students attend the Long Beach Island Consolidated School District, which serves students from Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach Township, Ship Bottom and Surf City. As of the 2017–18 school year, the district and its two schools had an enrollment of 234 students and 33.1 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 7.1:1. Schools in the district areEthel Jacobsen School in Surf City with 111 students in pre-kindergarten to second grade and
Long Beach Island Grade School in Ship Bottom with 125 students in grades 3 – 6. The district's board of education is made of nine members who are directly elected from the constituent municipalities on a staggered basis, with three members elected each year. Of the nine seats, four members are elected from Long Beach Township.
Students in public school for seventh through twelfth grades attend the Southern Regional School District, which serves the five municipalities in the Long Beach Island Consolidated School District, along with students from Beach Haven and Stafford Township, as well as students from Ocean Township who attend as part of a sending/receiving relationship. Schools in the district are
Southern Regional Middle School with 944 students in grades 7-8 and
Southern Regional High School with 1,941 students in grades 9-12. Both schools are in the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township.
At the time of its founding in 1957, the Southern Regional School District had a roughly equal number of students from Long Beach Island and Stafford Township. By 2016, the overwhelming majority of students were from Stafford Township, accounting for nearly 90% of enrollment. These demographic changes have led to significant discrepancies in the cost per pupil sent to the district from each community, with Harvey Cedars and Long Beach Township paying more than $200,000 per pupil, while Stafford Township's costs are $3,600 for each student. These widely different costs result from a formula that uses the taxable property value in each municipality to apportion costs, which means that municipalities with relatively high property values and small numbers of students pay a higher share of total district costs. Some residents of Long Beach Island communities are seeking to amend the formula to take advantage of a 1993 law that allows districts to use both property value and enrollment to allocate property taxes, though that would require passage of referendums in each municipality.
St. Mary Academy near Manahawkin CDP, a K-8 school of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton, is in the area. From 1997, until 2019 it operated as All Saints Regional Catholic School and was collectively managed by five churches, with one being St. Francis of Assisi Church in Brant Beach. In 2019 St. Mary Church in Barnegat took entire control of the school, which remained on the same Manahawkin campus, and changed its name. The other churches no longer operate the school but still may send students there.
Transportation
Roads and highways
, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality and by Ocean County.No Interstate, U.S. or state highways serve Long Beach Township. The main road serving the township is County Route 607.
Public transportation
Ocean Ride local service is provided on the OC9 LBI North / South route.The LBI Shuttle operates along Long Beach Boulevard, providing free service every 5 to 20 minutes from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM. It serves the Long Beach Island municipalities/communities of Barnegat Light, Loveladies, Harvey Cedars, North Beach, Surf City, Ship Bottom, Long Beach Township, Beach Haven and Holgate.
Surf Line Bus services sections of Long Beach Township in the summer months, with buses from New York City to LBI on Friday night, returning to New York City on Sunday night. Transportazumah provides daily bus service to and from New York during the summer season.