Mine Hill Township, New Jersey

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 3.031 square miles (7.850 km²), including 2.941 square miles (7.616 km²) of land and 0.090 square miles (0.234 km²) of water (2.98%).

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 3,651 people, 1,329 households, and 976.8 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,241.6 per square mile (479.4/km²). The township contained 1,380 housing units at an average density of 469.3 per square mile (181.2/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 80.69% (2,946) White, 4.60% (168) Black or African American, 0.41% (15) Native American, 4.96% (181) Asian, 0.03% (1) Pacific Islander, 5.78% (211) from other races, and 3.53% (129) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 23.01% (840) of the population.

Out of a total of 1,329 households, 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.7% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the township, 22.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 27.6% from 25 to 44, 30.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.3 years. For every 100 females the census counted 97.0 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 96.3 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $91,667 (with a margin of error of +/- $17,591) and the median family income was $103,532 (+/- $8,317). Males had a median income of $61,875 (+/- $13,249) versus $42,201 (+/- $13,280) for females. The per capita income for the township was $36,706 (+/- $3,887). About 2.4% of families and 3.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.0% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

At the 2000 United States Census, there were 3,679 people, 1,365 households and 1,041 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,228.6 per square mile (475.1/km²). There were 1,388 housing units at an average density of 463.5 per square mile (179.2/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 90.41% White, 3.42% African American, 0.11% Native American, 2.50% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.79% from other races, and 1.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.67% of the population.

There were 1,365 households of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.7% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.08.

24.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.3 males.

The median household income was $64,643 and the median family income was $67,467. Males had a median income of $47,813 versus $37,250 for females. The per capita income for the township was $27,119. About 4.7% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Mine Hill Township is governed within the Faulkner Act system of New Jersey municipal government, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under Mayor-Council (Plan E), enacted as of January 1, 1980, based on the recommendations of a Charter Study Commission. The Mine Hill Township Council consists of five elected members, each chosen at-large by the voters of Mine Hill in partisan elections for a four-year term on a staggered basis as part of the November general election, with two or three seats coming up for election every other year, and the mayoral seat up at the same time that two council seats are up for vote. At the Council's organizational meeting each January, one member is elected to serve as Mayor for a twelve-month term and another is chosen to serve as Deputy Mayor.

As of 2016, the Mayor of Mine Hill Township is Republican Sam Morris, whose term of office ends December 31, 2019. Members of the Mine Hill Township Council are Council President David R. Bloom (R, 2017), Bret Coranato (R, 2019), Kristine A. Kanzenbach (R, 2017), Conrad L. Pepperman (R, 2017) and Fred F. Willis Jr. (R, 2019).

Dover serves as the lead agency operating a joint municipal court that also serves the neighboring municipalities of Mine Hill Township, Mount Arlington, Victory Gardens and Wharton. Established in 2009, the joint municipal court was forecast to offer annual savings in excess of $250,000 over the 10-year life of the agreement.

Federal, state and county representation

Mine Hill Township is located in the 7th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 25th state legislative district. Prior to the 2010 Census, Mine Hill Township had been part of the 11th Congressional District, 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.

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 25th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Anthony Bucco (R, Boonton Town) and in the General Assembly by Tony Bucco (R, Boonton Township) and Michael Patrick Carroll (R, Morris Township). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, who are elected at-large to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with either two or three seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. The Freeholder Board sets policies for the operation of six super-departments, more than 30 divisions plus authorities, commissions, boards and study committees. Actual day-to-day operation of departments is supervised by County Administrator, John Bonanni. As of 2016, Morris County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Kathryn A. DeFillippo (Roxbury Township, term ends December 31, 2016), Deputy Freeholder William "Hank" Lyon (Montville, 2017), Douglas Cabana (Boonton Township, 2016), John Cesaro (Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, 2018), Thomas J. Mastrangelo (Montville, 2016) Christine Myers (Mendham Township, 2018), and Deborah Smith (Denville, 2018). Constitutional officers are County Clerk Ann F. Grossi (Parsippany-Troy Hills Township, 2018), Sheriff Edward V. Rochford (Morris Plains, 2016) and Surrogate John Pecoraro (Mendham Borough, 2019).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 2,197 registered voters in Mine Hill Township, of which 513 (23.4%) were registered as Democrats, 669 (30.5%) were registered as Republicans and 1,014 (46.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 49.2% of the vote (802 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 49.0% (799 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (29 votes), among the 1,638 ballots cast by the township's 2,337 registered voters (8 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 70.1%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 50.8% of the vote (894 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 47.5% (835 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (20 votes), among the 1,759 ballots cast by the township's 2,283 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.0%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 54.3% of the vote (910 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 44.8% (751 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (11 votes), among the 1,675 ballots cast by the township's 2,270 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 73.8.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 66.2% of the vote (702 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 31.8% (337 votes), and other candidates with 2.0% (21 votes), among the 1,080 ballots cast by the township's 2,331 registered voters (20 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 46.3%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 56.5% of the vote (660 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 30.9% (361 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 9.2% (108 votes) and other candidates with 1.4% (16 votes), among the 1,168 ballots cast by the township's 2,217 registered voters, yielding a 52.7% turnout.

Education

The Mine Hill School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade at Canfield Avenue School. As of the 2013-14 school year, the district's one school had an enrollment of 383 students and 31.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.3:1.

During the 1991-92 school year, Canfield Avenue School was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award from the United States Department of Education, the highest honor that an American school can achieve.

For seventh through twelfth grades, public school students attend Dover Middle School (grades 7&8) and Dover High School (grades 9-12) in Dover as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Dover School District. The district also serves students from Victory Gardens, which has been fully consolidated into the Dover School District since 2010. The high school was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award in 2013.

Library services

The Mine Hill Township Library is located at the Civic Center. Residents may also use either the County College of Morris Library in Randolph or the Morris County Library in Morris Plains. Residents of Mine Hill cannot use any other local library in Morris County, because the township does not belong to the Morris County Library System.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 20.65 miles (33.23 km) of roadways, of which 15.89 miles (25.57 km) were maintained by the municipality, 2.86 miles (4.60 km) by Morris County and 1.90 miles (3.06 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The township is accessible via Interstate 80, U.S. Route 46, and Route 10.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides Midtown Direct service at the Dover train station on the Montclair-Boonton Line and the Morristown Line to Newark Broad Street station, Secaucus Junction, New York Penn Station and Hoboken Terminal.

NJ Transit offered local bus service on the MCM5 route, which was eliminated in 2010 when subsidies to the local provider were eliminated as part of budget cuts.

Notable people

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