Ocean Township, Ocean County, New Jersey

History

Ocean Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 13, 1876, from portions of both Lacey Township and Union Township (now Barnegat Township). Portions of the township were taken to create Long Beach Township (March 23, 1899) and Island Beach (June 23, 1933; dissolved in 1965 and absorbed into Berkeley Township). The township derives its name from its seaside location.

All of Ocean Township is commonly referred to as "Waretown" by local residents. The local custom is so widespread that it surprises some new residents that the official name is Ocean Township. Non-residents have been known to confuse Ocean Township with the Ocean Township of Monmouth County. There was a petition drive in 2006 to get a name change to Township of Waretown on the ballot but it failed to obtain enough signatures to get on the ballot.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 32.044 square miles (82.993 km²), including 20.555 square miles (53.238 km²) of land and 11.489 square miles (29.756 km²) of water (35.85%).

Waretown (with a 2010 Census population of 1,569) is a unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Ocean Township.

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Brookville, Barnegat Beach, Daniels Bridge, Waretown Junction, Wells Mills and West Point Island.

The township borders the Ocean County municipalities of Barnegat Light, Barnegat Township, Berkeley Township, Lacey Township and Long Beach Township.

The township is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering 1,100,000 acres (450,000 ha), that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve. All of the township is included in either the state-designated Pinelands Area or the Pinelands National Reserve, which includes portions of Burlington County, along with areas in Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties.

Census 2010

The 2010 United States Census counted 8,332 people, 3,483 households, and 2,557 families residing in the township. The population density was 405.3 per square mile (156.5/km²). The township contained 4,291 housing units at an average density of 208.8 per square mile (80.6/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.75% (8,061) White, 0.59% (49) Black or African American, 0.13% (11) Native American, 1.08% (90) Asian, 0.01% (1) Pacific Islander, 0.46% (38) from other races, and 0.98% (82) from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.76% (230) of the population.

Out of a total of 3,483 households, 20.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.8% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 20.9% 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 2.39 and the average family size was 2.76.

In the township, 16.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 20.0% from 25 to 44, 32.3% from 45 to 64, and 24.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 49.6 years. For every 100 females the census counted 98.7 males, but for 100 females at least 18 years old, it was 96.7 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $74,736 (with a margin of error of +/- $6,360) and the median family income was $75,815 (+/- $7,572). Males had a median income of $49,189 (+/- $9,450) versus $33,250 (+/- $10,524) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $36,895 (+/- $4,315). About 0.9% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 6,450 people, 2,446 households, and 1,743 families residing in the township. The population density was 310.1 people per square mile (119.7/km²). There were 2,981 housing units at an average density of 143.3 per square mile (55.3/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 97.33% White, 0.74% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 0.96% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.10% of the population.

There were 2,446 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the township the population was spread out with 25.5% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $46,461, and the median income for a family was $55,379. Males had a median income of $39,149 versus $32,188 for females. The per capita income for the township was $22,830. About 5.6% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.1% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.

Local government

Ocean Township is governed under the Township form of government. The three-member Township Committee is elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one seat 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.

As of 2016, Township Committee members are Mayor Dennis F. Tredy (R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2016), Deputy Mayor Christina "Tina" Wetter (R, term on committee ends 2017; term as deputy mayor ends 2016) and Daniel Collamer (R, 2018).

On July 23, 2009, local Republican party member and former Mayor Daniel Van Pelt was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of a statewide money laundering investigation. In May 2010, Van Pelt was convicted on federal corruption charges, and had been scheduled to be sentenced to federal prison on November 4, 2010.

Federal, state and county representation

Ocean Township is located in the 3rd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 9th state legislative district.

New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District is represented by Tom MacArthur (R, Toms River). 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 9th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Christopher J. Connors (R, Lacey Township) and in the General Assembly by DiAnne Gove (R, Long Beach Township) and Brian E. Rumpf (R, Little Egg Harbor Township). The Governor of New Jersey is Chris Christie (R, Mendham Township). The Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is Kim Guadagno (R, Monmouth Beach).

Ocean County is governed by a Board of Chosen Freeholders consisting of five members, elected on an at-large basis in partisan elections and serving staggered three-year terms of office, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization held in the beginning of January, the board chooses a Director and a Deputy Director from among its members. As of 2015, Ocean County's Freeholders (with party affiliation, term-end year, residence and department directorship listed in parentheses) are Freeholder Director John C. Bartlett, Jr. (R, term ends December 31, 2015, Pine Beach; Finance, Parks and Recreation), Freeholder Deputy Director Gerry P. Little (R, 2015, Surf City; Human Services), John P. Kelly (R, 2016, Eagleswood Township; Law and Public Safety), James F. Lacey (R, 2016, Brick Township; Transportation) and Joseph H. Vicari (R, 2017, Toms River; Senior Services and County Operations). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are County Clerk Scott M. Colabella (R, 2015, Barnegat Light), Sheriff Michael Mastronardy (R, 2016; Toms River) and Surrogate Jeffrey Moran (R, 2018, Beachwood).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 6,245 registered voters in Ocean Township, of which 1,017 (16.3%) were registered as Democrats, 2,095 (33.5%) were registered as Republicans and 3,128 (50.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 5 voters registered to other parties. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 75.0% (vs. 63.2% in Ocean County) were registered to vote, including 89.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 82.6% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 62.4% of the vote (2,881 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 36.7% (1,693 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (42 votes), among the 4,647 ballots cast by the township's 6,583 registered voters (31 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 70.6%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 60.0% of the vote (2,654 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 37.6% (1,665 votes) and other candidates with 1.4% (64 votes), among the 4,423 ballots cast by the township's 5,996 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.8%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 53.4% of the vote (506 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 44.9% (425 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (9 votes), among the 947 ballots cast by the township's 1,308 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 72.4.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 79.2% of the vote (2,577 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 19.4% (631 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (45 votes), among the 3,307 ballots cast by the township's 6,555 registered voters (54 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 50.5%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 67.5% of the vote (2,274 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 25.0% (841 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 5.3% (178 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (38 votes), among the 3,370 ballots cast by the township's 6,082 registered voters, yielding a 55.4% turnout.

Education

For pre-kindergarten through sixth grade, public school students attend the Ocean Township School District. As of the 2014-15 school year, the district and its two schools had an enrollment of 982 students and 50.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 19.4:1. Schools in the district (with 2014-15 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Waretown Elementary School with an enrollment of 304 students in pre-K to 3rd grade and Frederic A. Priff Elementary School with 240 students in grades 4 - 6.

For seventh through twelfth grades, public school students attend the schools of the Southern Regional School District, which serves the five municipalities in the Long Beach Island Consolidated School District — Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach Township, Ship Bottom and Surf City — along with students from Beach Haven and Stafford Township, together with the students from Ocean Township who attend as part of a sending/receiving relationship. Schools in the district (with 2014-15 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are Southern Regional Middle School (grades 7 and 8; 937 students) and Southern Regional High School (grades 9 – 12; 2,064 students). Both schools are in the Manahawkin section of Stafford Township.

Roads and highways

As of May 2010, the township had a total of 58.12 miles (93.54 km) of roadways, of which 36.64 miles (58.97 km) were maintained by the municipality, 16.35 miles (26.31 km) by Ocean County and 2.95 miles (4.75 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 2.18 miles (3.51 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.

The Garden State Parkway (accessible via Exit 69) and U.S. Route 9 both pass through the township, as does County Route 532. The Parkway connects Barnegat Township in the south to Lacey Township in the north and includes interchange 69 for CR 532, which is signed for Waretown / Forked River.

Public transportation

NJ Transit provides bus service to and from Atlantic City on the 559 bus route.

Ocean Ride local service is provided on the Waretown Shoppers Loop route.

Notable people

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