Mansfield Township, Burlington County, New Jersey


Mansfield Township is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 8,544. The population increased by 3,454 from the 5,090 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 1,216 from the 3,874 counted in the 1990 Census.

History

Mansfield was first formed on November 6, 1688, and reformed by Royal charter on May 9, 1770. Mansfield was incorporated 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 Fieldsboro, Bordentown Township and Florence Township.
The township was named for Mansfield, England.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 21.907 square miles, including 21.740 square miles of land and 0.167 square miles of water.
The township borders the Burlington County municipalities of Bordentown Township, Chesterfield Township, Florence Township and Springfield Township.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Bishops Barn, Columbus, Georgetown, Hedding, Kinkora, Mansfield, Rising Sun Square and Three Tuns. Homestead, a retirement village, consists of 1,200 homes in Columbus.
Liberty Lake is a freshwater spring-fed lake, that allows boating, swimming and fishing.

Demographics

2010 Census

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $74,671 and the median family income was $97,774. Males had a median income of $62,215 versus $57,917 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $38,899. About 2.5% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 5,090 people, 2,077 households, and 1,561 families residing in the township. The population density was 234.3 people per square mile. There were 2,122 housing units at an average density of 97.7 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 95.42% White, 1.91% African American, 0.18% Native American, 1.49% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.83% of the population.
There were 2,077 households out of which 23.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.4% were married couples living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.86.
In the township the population was spread out with 18.7% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 21.4% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 31.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $50,757, and the median income for a family was $59,040. Males had a median income of $45,560 versus $40,968 for females. The per capita income for the township was $26,559. About 2.9% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Mansfield Township is governed under the Township form of government, one of 141 of 565 municipalities statewide that use this form of government. The Township Committee is comprised of five members who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor. Legislative and executive powers of the township are exercised by the Township Committee as a whole, with the mayor presiding over meetings and voting as a member of the committee.
, members of the Mansfield Township Committee are Mayor Janice A. Di Giuseppe, Deputy Mayor , Robert J. Higgins, Michael H. Magee and Rudolph "Rudy" Ocello.
Janice A. DiGiuseppe resigned in August 2015, citing personal reasons for leaving office after five years. The following month, the council selected Laverne Cholewa from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the vacancy. In November 2015, Cholewa was elected to serve the two years remaining on the term of office previously held by DiGiuseppe.
In October 2014, Sean Gable was cited for having violated the New Jersey Local Government Ethics Law.

2013 revaluation issues

After a property revaluation was completed in 2013 and based on changes in tax levies by the municipality and the local school districts, the property tax rate increased by almost 50%, from $2.01 per $100 in assessed value in 2012 to $2.93 in 2013. A group of residents has complained to the New Jersey Division of Taxation, claiming that home values had been calculated incorrectly and arbitrarily, showing data that a sample of smaller homes saw taxes drop 8% while taxes on larger homes increased by 10%. The Mansfield Township tax assessor denied the claims and responded that the revaluation complied with all state legal requirements.

Federal, state and county representation

Mansfield Township is located in the 3rd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 8th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Mansfield 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 6,195 registered voters in Mansfield Township, of which 1,838 were registered as Democrats, 1,957 were registered as Republicans and 2,396 were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 72.5% were registered to vote, including 91.3% of those ages 18 and over.
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,499 votes here, ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 2,447 votes and other candidates with 43 votes, among the 5,037 ballots cast by the township's 6,411 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.6%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,612 votes here, ahead of Republican John McCain with 2,500 votes and other candidates with 56 votes, among the 5,206 ballots cast by the township's 6,277 registered voters, for a turnout of 82.9%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 2,494 votes here, ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 2,237 votes and other candidates with 38 votes, among the 4,379 ballots cast by the township's 5,822 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.2%.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 2,254 votes here, ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 974 votes and other candidates with 28 votes, among the 3,312 ballots cast by the township's 6,427 registered voters, yielding a 51.5% turnout. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,986 votes here, ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,485 votes, Independent Chris Daggett with 149 votes and other candidates with 86 votes, among the 3,724 ballots cast by the township's 6,263 registered voters, yielding a 59.5% turnout.

Education

Students in public school for kindergarten through sixth grade attend the Mansfield Public Schools. As of the 2017–18 school year, the district, comprising two schools, had an enrollment of 562 students and 58.1 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 9.7:1. Schools in the district are
John Hydock Elementary School with 198 students in grades K-2 and
Mansfield Township Elementary School with 362 students in grades 3–6.
Children in public school for seventh through twelfth grades attend the schools of the Northern Burlington County Regional School District, which also serves students from Chesterfield Township, North Hanover Township and Springfield Township, along with children of military personnel based at Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst. The schools in the district are
Northern Burlington County Regional Middle School with 834 students in grades 7 - 8 and
Northern Burlington County Regional High School with 1,335 students in grades 9-12. Both schools are in the Columbus section of Mansfield Township. Using a formula that reflects the population and the value of the assessed property in each of the constituent municipalities, taxpayers in Mansfield Township pay 46.5% of the district's tax levy, with the district's 2013-14 budget including $35.6 million in spending. The 7-12 district's board of education has nine members, who are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year. The nine seats on the Board of Education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with two seats assigned to Mansfield Township.
Students from Mansfield Township, and from all of Burlington County, are eligible to attend the Burlington County Institute of Technology, a countywide public school district that serves the vocational and technical education needs of students at the high school and post-secondary level at its campuses in Medford and Westampton Township.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Burlington County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.
Mansfield is the location where Interstate 95 joins the New Jersey Turnpike at Interchange 6. I-95 stretches for through the township, connecting Florence Township in the west to Bordentown Township on the township's northern border. The mainline of the turnpike continues south from its junction with I-95 into Springfield Township.
Other major roads which serve Mansfield include Interstate 295, U.S. Route 130, U.S. Route 206, Route 68, and County Route 543.

Public transportation

provides bus service in the township between Trenton and Philadelphia on the 409 route.

Notable people

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