Clinton Township, New Jersey

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 33.823 square miles (87.603 km²), including 29.876 square miles (77.379 km²) of land and 3.947 square miles (10.224 km²) of water (11.67%).

Annandale (with a 2010 Census population of 1,695) is a census-designated place and unincorporated community located within Clinton Township.

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Allerton, Cedar Heights, Cokesbury, Hamden, Mariannes Corner, McPherson, Potterstown, Readingsburgh, Stone Mill and Sunnyside.

The township borders Clinton Town, Franklin Township, High Bridge, Lebanon Township, Raritan Township, Readington Township, Tewksbury Township, Union Township. Also, Lebanon is an independent municipality surrounded entirely by the township, making it part one of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.

Cushetunk Mountain is a ring-shaped mountain located in Readington Township and Clinton Township. Once an active volcano, the diabase mountain was formed 160 million years ago. The Lenape called the mountain "Cushetunk" meaning "place of hogs". In the 1960s, the valley was filled with water to create Round Valley Reservoir, at 180 feet (55 m) in depth the second-deepest in the state.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 13,478 people, 4,568 households, and 3,444 families residing in the township. The population density was 451.1 per square mile (174.2/km²). The township contained 4,737 housing units at an average density of 158.6 per square mile (61.2/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 86.43% (11,649) White, 6.01% (810) Black or African American, 0.20% (27) Native American, 3.90% (525) Asian, 0.04% (6) Pacific Islander, 1.79% (241) from other races, and 1.63% (220) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 5.60% (755) of the population.

Out of a total of 4,568 households, 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.6% were non-families. 20.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the township, 24.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 12.0% from 18 to 24, 20.3% from 25 to 44, 33.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.9 years. For every 100 females the census counted 116.2 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 121.3 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $120,565 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,904) and the median family income was $147,689 (+/- $10,532). Males had a median income of $106,898 (+/- $7,766) versus $73,264 (+/- $11,810) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $52,700 (+/- $6,064). About 1.7% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 12,957 people, 4,129 households, and 3,253 families residing in the township. The population density was 431.9 people per square mile (166.8/km²). There were 4,234 housing units at an average density of 141.1 per square mile (54.5/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 87.71% White, 6.96% African American, 0.20% Native American, 2.35% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.59% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.91% of the population.

There were 4,129 households out of which 42.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.1% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 17.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the township the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 118.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 124.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $96,570, and the median income for a family was $106,448. Males had a median income of $77,229 versus $46,762 for females. The per capita income for the township was $37,264. About 0.3% of families and 0.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 3.6% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Clinton Township is governed within the Faulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under the Small Municipality form of government. The Small Municipality form of government is available as an option only for municipalities with a population of under 12,000. The government consists of a Mayor and a four-member Township Council, with all positions elected at-large in partisan elections. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a three-year term of office. Council members serve a term of three years, which are staggered so that two council seats come up for election each year that the Mayor's seat does not.

The Mayor is the township's executive official and is responsible for selecting the Municipal Clerk and Assessor, which are subject to confirmation by the Township Council. The Council is the township's legislative body and is responsible for ordinances, resolutions and the annual budget, as well as most hiring other than those positions delegated to the mayor. The mayor presides over and is eligible to vote at council meetings, but has no veto power.

As of 2016, the Clinton Township Council consists of Mayor John J. Higgins (R, term of office ends December 31, 2017), Council President Brian Mullay (R, 2016), Chris D'Alleinne (R, 2018), Dan McTiernan (R, 2018) and Amy Switlyk (R, 2016).

Federal, state and county representation

Clinton Township is located in the 7th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state legislative district.

New Jersey's Seventh Congressional District is represented by Leonard Lance (R, Clinton Township). New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Cory Booker (D, Newark, term ends 2021) and Bob Menendez (D, Paramus, 2019).

For the 2016–2017 session (Senate, General Assembly), the 23rd Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Michael J. Doherty (R, Washington Township, Warren County) and in the General Assembly by John DiMaio (R, Hackettstown) and Erik Peterson (R, Franklin Township, Hunterdon County). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Hunterdon County is governed by a five-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who serve three-year terms of office at-large on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held each January, the freeholders select one member to serve as the board's Director and another to serve as Deputy Director. As of 2015, Hunterdon County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director John King (R; Raritan Township, 2015), Freeholder Deputy Director Suzanne Lagay (R; Holland Township, 2016), J. Matthew Holt (R; Clinton Town, 2015), John E. Lanza (R; Flemington, 2016) and Robert G. Walton (R; Hampton, 2017). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Mary H. Melfi (R; Flemington, 2017), Sheriff Fredrick W. Brown (R; Alexandria Township, 2016) and Surrogate Susan J. Hoffman (R; Kingwood Township, 2018).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 8,817 registered voters in Clinton Township, of which 1,433 (16.3%) were registered as Democrats, 3,861 (43.8%) were registered as Republicans and 3,517 (39.9%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 6 voters registered to other parties.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 61.1% of the vote (4,265 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 37.6% (2,628 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (90 votes), among the 7,023 ballots cast by the township's 9,298 registered voters (40 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 75.5%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 58.7% of the vote (4,279 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 39.2% (2,859 votes) and other candidates with 1.3% (98 votes), among the 7,289 ballots cast by the township's 8,975 registered voters, for a turnout of 81.2%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 64.0% of the vote (4,389 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 34.1% (2,340 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (60 votes), among the 6,863 ballots cast by the township's 8,143 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 84.3.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 76.4% of the vote (3,195 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 21.5% (899 votes), and other candidates with 2.1% (89 votes), among the 4,261 ballots cast by the township's 9,144 registered voters (78 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 46.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 70.5% of the vote (3,662 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 20.4% (1,058 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 7.5% (391 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (30 votes), among the 5,196 ballots cast by the township's 8,869 registered voters, yielding a 58.6% turnout.

Education

The Clinton Township School District serves children in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2014-15 school year, the district's four schools had an enrollment of 2,309 students and 142.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 16.2:1. Schools in the district (with 2014-15 school enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Spruce Run Elementary School (grades PreK-1; 250 students) Patrick McGaheran School (2&3; 293) Round Valley School (4-6; 496) and Clinton Township Middle School (7&8; 412). Students in grades 7 and 8 from Lebanon Borough attend the district as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Lebanon Borough School District.

Public school students in ninth through twelfth grades attend North Hunterdon High School in Annandale, which also serves students from Bethlehem Township, Clinton Town, Franklin Township, Lebanon Borough and Union Township. As of the 2014-15 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,747 students and 134.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.0:1. The school is part of the North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District, which also includes students from Califon, Glen Gardner, Hampton, High Bridge, Lebanon Township and Tewksbury Township, who attend Voorhees High School in Lebanon Township.

Immaculate Conception School, located in Annandale and serving students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, operates under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Metuchen. In September 2013, the school was one of 15 in New Jersey to be recognized by the United States Department of Education as part of the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program, an award called the "most prestigious honor in the United States' education system" and which Education Secretary Arne Duncan described as schools that "represent examples of educational excellence".

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 119.00 miles (191.51 km) of roadways, of which 86.79 miles (139.67 km) were maintained by the municipality, 17.20 miles (27.68 km) by Hunterdon County and 15.01 miles (24.16 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Interstate 78, Route 22 and Route 31 pass through Clinton Township.

Rail and Bus transportation

Annandale is an NJ Transit railroad station on the Raritan Valley Line, in the Annandale section of Clinton Township. There is a station building that is no longer used and there are two small shelters. This station has limited weekday service and no weekend service. NJ Transit offers bus service on the 884 route.

The Norfolk Southern Railway's Lehigh Line (formerly the mainline of the Lehigh Valley Railroad), runs through the southwest part of Clinton Township.

Notable people

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