
Map of Galloway Township in Atlantic County
'Galloway Township' is a
township in
Atlantic County,
New Jersey,
United States. As of the
United States 2000 Census, the township population was 31,209.
Galloway Township was incorporated by
Royal Charter on
April 4,
1774, from portions of
Egg Harbor Township, when it was still part of
Gloucester County. Galloway was incorporated as a township by an Act of the
New Jersey Legislature on
February 21,
1798. After becoming part of the newly-formed Atlantic County in 1837, portions of the township were taken to create
Mullica Township (
March 13,
1838),
Egg Harbor City (
June 14,
1858),
Absecon town (
February 29,
1872), Brigantine Beach borough (now
Brigantine city;
June 14,
1890) and
Port Republic (
March 1,
1905).
["The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 69.]
Geography
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 297.3
km² (114.8
mi²). 234.4 km² (90.5 mi²) of it is land and 63.0 km² (24.3 mi²) of it (21.18%) is water.
Pomona (2000 Census population of 4,019) is a
census-designated place and
unincorporated area located within Galloway Township. Other unincorporated areas within Galloway Township include Absecon Highlands, Cologne, Conovertown, Germania, Higbeetown, Leeds Point, Oceanville, Pinehurst,
Pomona,
Smithville and South Egg Harbor, and the "Township Center".
Demographics
As of the
census² of 2000, there were 31,209 people, 10,772 households, and 7,680 families residing in the township. The
population density was 133.2/km² (344.9/mi²). There were 11,406 housing units at an average density of 48.7/km² (126.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 77.16%
White, 9.80%
African American, 0.24%
Native American, 8.00%
Asian, 0.05%
Pacific Islander, 2.59% from
other races, and 2.16% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 6.16% of the population.
There were 10,772 households out of which 38.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were
married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% 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 3.18.
In the township the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 13.6% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 92.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $51,592, and the median income for a family was $57,156. Males had a median income of $38,048 versus $31,167 for females. The
per capita income for the township was $21,048. About 4.4% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 11.9% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Galloway Township has adopted the
Council-Manager form of New Jersey government. This format is regulated by New Jersey law under the
Faulkner Act. In Galloway Township residents elect council members, but not the Mayor. Members of Council select one of their members to take the office of Mayor and another to serve as Deputy Mayor. The Mayor does not have any more powers than any other member of the Council. Although the Council is the governing body of the township, the day-to-day operations are the responsibility of the Township Manager.
Council members are elected to serve four-year terms of office. Seats come up for election every two years, with either four or three seats expiring in each election on a staggered basis.
Members of the Galloway Township Council are
Mayor Thomas Bassford (
R, term ends December 2009),
Deputy Mayor William Ackerman (R, 2007), Richard Dase (R, 2009), Alan DeSimone (R, 2009), Mark A. Hanko (R, 2007), David Maxwell (R, 2007) and Meg Worthington (
D, 2009).
[1]
Federal, state and county representation
Galloway Township is in the Second Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 2nd Legislative District.
[2]
Education
For pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade, students attend the
Galloway Township Public Schools. Schools in the district are
Oceanville Kindergarten Learning Center with 174 students in Kindergarten,
Pomona Kindergarten Learning Center with 196 students in Kindergarten,
Arthur Rann Elementary School with 598 students in grades 1-6,
Reeds Road Elementary School with 605 students in grades 1-6,
Roland Rogers Elementary School with 575 students in grades 1-6,
Smithville Elementary School with 615 students in preschool and grades 1-6, and
Galloway Township Middle School with 970 students in grades 7-8.
Public school students in grades 9 - 12 attend
Absegami High School, located in Galloway Township, which serves students from both Galloway Township and Egg Harbor City. About 2,300 students attend the school. The High School is part of the
Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District, a regional
public high school district serving about 3,700 in the constituent districts of
Egg Harbor City, Galloway Township,
Hamilton Township and
Mullica Township. In addition,students from the districts of the City of
Port Republic and
Washington Township (in
Burlington County) attend as part of
sending/receiving relationships.
The
Galloway Community Charter School is a public school that serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school operates independently of the Galloway Township Public Schools under a
charter issued by the
New Jersey Department of Education. There is no tuition charged; costs are paid on a per-student basis by each of the sending districts, with additional funding provided by the State of New Jersey. The school draws its students from throughout Atlantic County.
The
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is a four-year
Liberal arts college located in the Pomona section of Galloway Township.
History
The Township of Galloway was created by Royal Patent of
King George III of England on
April 4,
1774. At that time it was part of Old
Gloucester County, and comprised what is now
Hammonton,
Mullica Township,
Egg Harbor City,
Port Republic,
Brigantine,
Atlantic City, and the northern portion of
Absecon. Galloway Township was incorporated by the
New Jersey Legislature on [{February 21]],
1798.
["The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 69.]
Historians are uncertain of the source of Galloway Township's name. One theory is that is was named after an area known as
Mull of Galloway in the region of
Dumfries and Galloway in southern
Scotland. An alternative derivation is that the Township was named for
Joseph Galloway, a
Loyalist delegate to the
First Continental Congress in 1774, who was opposed to independence of the
Thirteen colonies.
Galloway Township's first inhabitants were
Lenni-Lenape Native Americans, who were followed by European settlers. During the
American Revolutionary War, Galloway was the site of the
Battle of Chestnut Neck (in what is now a part of Port Republic).
The webcomic
Uncertainty Principle, written by Scott McAllister and drawn by Darrell M. Stark (a Galloway Township resident and Absegami High School graduate) takes place in Galloway Township during the year 2550.
Patricia Nickles was the first female Mayor of Galloway Township.
Transportation
The
Garden State Parkway passes through the township. It was on this stretch of the Parkway that
Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine was involved in a serious accident on
April 12,
2007.
[3] Also passing through the township are
Route 50 and
U.S. Route 30, along with
CR 561,
CR 561 Alternate,
CR 563 and
CR 575.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Galloway Township include:
★
Elias Higbee (1795-1843) was an associate of
Joseph Smith, Jr., and an
official historian and recorder in the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Points of interest
★ Galloway National Golf Club was designed by
Tom Fazio.
Pests
A large swath of oak and other hardwood trees were defoliated in the spring of 2007 by the
Gypsy moth caterpillar. The township did not apply for spraying through the State of New Jersey due to budget constraints, and without spraying the gypsy moths flourished.
[4]
References
1. Galloway Township Council, Galloway Township. Accessed May 22, 2007.
2. 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 57. Accessed August 30, 2006.
3. " Corzine Is Critically Injured in Car Crash on Parkway", ''The New York Times'', April 13, 2007, accessed April 21, 2007. "The accident occurred at Mile Marker 44.5 in Galloway Township on the parkway's northbound lanes, about five miles north of the Atlantic City Expressway."
4. Prisament, Steve. "State approach on gypsy moth spraying really bugs council", ''Current of Galloway'', June 13, 2007. Accessed June 29, 2007.
External links
★
Township Government website
★
Galloway Township Public Schools
★
★
National Center for Education Statistics data for the Galloway Township Public Schools
★
Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District
★
Absegami High School website
★
Police Department website
★
Ambulance Squad website
★
Fire Department website