West Deptford Township is a Township in Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 19,368.
West Deptford Township was formed as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 1, 1871, from portions of Deptford Township. Portions of the township were taken to form National Park (April 15, 1902) and Westville (April 7, 1914).[6]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 17.8 square miles (46.0 km²), of which, 15.9 square miles (41.2 km²) of it is land and 1.9 square miles (4.8 km²) of it (10.47%) is water.
West Deptford Township borders Westville, Deptford Township, Woodbury, Woodbury Heights, Mantua Township, East Greenwich Township, Paulsboro and National Park, as well as Camden County and the Delaware River.
Government
Local government
West Deptford Township is governed under the Township form of government with a five-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.[7] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor. The Township Committee is the legislative branch of the Township government, developing and adopting ordinances that become the laws of the township.
The Mayor of West Deptford Township is Anna Docimo.[8] Other members of the West Deptford Township Committee are Deputy Mayor Len E. Daws (Chairperson, Department of Administration), John J. Cobb (Chairperson, Department of Public Safety), Hugh Garrison (Chairperson, Department of Utilities) and Donna Szymborski (Chairperson, Department of Public Works).[9]
Federal, state and county representation
West Deptford Township is in the First Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 3rd Legislative District.[10]
New Jersey's First Congressional District, covering portions of Burlington County, Camden County and Gloucester County, is represented by Rob Andrews (D, Haddon Heights). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).
The 3rd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Stephen M. Sweeney (D, West Deptford Township) and in the Assembly by John J. Burzichelli (D, Paulsboro) and Celeste Riley (D, Bridgeton).[11] The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).[12]
Gloucester County is governed by a seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders, elected to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year. Each year, the Board selects a Freeholder Director and Deputy Director from among its members. As of 2009[update], Gloucester County's Freeholders are Freeholder Director Stephen M. Sweeney (D, West Deptford Township, term ends December 31, 2011), Deputy Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger (D, West Deptford Township, 2009), Joseph A. Brigandi, Jr., (D, Glassboro, 2010), Jean DuBois (D, Mantua Township, 2010), Giuseppe "Joe" Chila (D, Woolwich Township, 2009), Frank J. DiMarco (D, Deptford Township, 2011) and Dr. Warren S. Wallace (D, Washington Township, 2011).[13]
Senior League Eastern Regional
West Deptford is host of the annual Senior Little League Baseball Eastern Regional Tournament. The winner of this tournament advances to the Senior League World Series in Bangor, Maine.
Education
The West Deptford Public Schools serve students in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Schools in the district (with 2005-06 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[14]) are three K-4 elementary schools — Green-Fields Elementary School (514 students), Oakview Elementary School, which includes a preschool (347 students) and Red Bank Elementary School (298 students) — West Deptford Middle School for grades 5-8 (1,016 students) and West Deptford High School for grades 9-12 (1,111 students).
Transportation
Major roadways in and around West Deptford Township include Interstate 295, U.S. Route 130, Route 44, Route 45 and County Route 551.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of West Deptford Township include:
References
- ^ USGS GNIS: Township of West Deptford, Geographic Names Information System, accessed January 4, 2008.
- ^ Census data for West Deptford Township, United States Census Bureau. Accessed September 20, 2007.
- ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ A Cure for the Common Codes: New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed July 14, 2008.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 141.
- ^ 2005 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, April 2005, p. 19.
- ^ Mayor's Office, accessed March 14, 2007
- ^ Township Committee, West Deptford Township. Accessed March 1, 2008.
- ^ 2008 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 66. Accessed September 30, 2009.
- ^ Legislative Roster: 2008-2009 Session, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed June 6, 2008.
- ^ "About the Governor". New Jersey. http://www.nj.gov/governor/about/. Retrieved 6 June 2008.
- ^ Gloucester County Elected Officials, Gloucester County, New Jersey. Accessed October 1, 2009.
- ^ Data for the West Deptford Public Schools, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed March 27, 2008.
- ^ Freeholder Direcot Stephen M. Sweeney, Burlington County, New Jersey. Accessed July 2, 2008.
Erik Heiss, Hosts "Heiss The Fan" on MLB.com
External links
