Liberty Township, New Jersey


Liberty Township is a township in Warren County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 2,942, reflecting an increase of 177 from the 2,765 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 272 from the 2,493 counted in the 1990 Census. It is part of the eastern region of the Lehigh Valley.
Liberty Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 26, 1926, from portions of Hope Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 30, 1926.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 11.866 square miles, including 11.603 square miles of land and 0.263 square miles of water.
Mountain Lake is an unincorporated community and census-designated place located within the township. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Denville, Great Meadows and Townsbury.
Mountain Lake is over 12,000 years old and is Warren County's largest natural glacial lake. The lake has an area of, maximum depth of and an average depth of. The Mountain Lake Community Association oversees the Mountain Lake watershed and helps to maintain Mountain Lake's natural habitat. South of Mountain Lake is High Rock where many visitors enjoy to go hiking and can view the lake and surrounding areas, including the Delaware Water Gap.
The township borders the Warren County municipalities of Hope Township, Independence Township, Mansfield Township and White Township.

Demographics

The Township's economic data is calculated by the US Census Bureau as part of the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Census 2010

The Census Bureau's 2006-2010 American Community Survey showed that median household income was $73,750 and the median family income was $87,059. Males had a median income of $55,625 versus $49,511 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $31,946. About none of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Census 2000

As of the 2000 United States Census there were 2,765 people, 980 households, and 750 families residing in the township. The population density was 234.3 people per square mile. There were 1,088 housing units at an average density of 92.2 per square mile. The racial makeup of the township was 97.40% White, 0.36% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.58% Asian, 0.54% from other races, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.68% of the population.
There were 980 households out of which 40.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 17.6% 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 2.79 and the average family size was 3.23.
In the township the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 33.1% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $62,535, and the median income for a family was $68,529. Males had a median income of $48,446 versus $33,529 for females. The per capita income for the township was $24,743. About 2.0% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Liberty Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 of 565 municipalities statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters at-large in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats 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.
, members of the Liberty Township Committee are Mayor John E. Inscho, Deputy Mayor Daniel B. Grover, Michael Beyer, Peter Karcher and David Rogers.
Carl Cummins was appointed to fill the vacant seat of John Fisher, who had died in September 2013, after the deadline to remove his name from the ballot and who won a seat in the November 2013 general election. Fisher's term of office runs until December 2016. Cummins served on an interim basis until the November 2014 general election when he was elected to serve the balance of the term.

Federal, state and county representation

Liberty Township is located in the 5th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Liberty Township had been in the 23rd state legislative district.

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 1,897 registered voters in Liberty Township, of which 386 were registered as Democrats, 768 were registered as Republicans and 742 were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party. Among the township's 2010 Census population, 64.5% were registered to vote, including 85.1% of those ages 18 and over.
In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 709 votes, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 447 votes and other candidates with 24 votes, among the 1,193 ballots cast by the township's 1,894 registered voters, for a turnout of 63.0%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 843 votes, ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 585 votes and other candidates with 22 votes, among the 1,463 ballots cast by the township's 1,912 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.5%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 909 votes, ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 491 votes and other candidates with 32 votes, among the 1,434 ballots cast by the township's 1,809 registered voters, for a turnout of 79.3%.
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 73.9% of the vote, ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 22.6%, and other candidates with 3.5%, among the 810 ballots cast by the township's 1,923 registered voters, for a turnout of 42.1%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 658 votes, ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 244 votes, Independent Chris Daggett with 99 votes and other candidates with 21 votes, among the 1,038 ballots cast by the township's 1,855 registered voters, yielding a 56.0% turnout.

Education

Public school students in kindergarten through eighth grade attend the Great Meadows Regional School District, together with students from Independence Township. The New Jersey Superior Court, Appellate Division blocked a 2007 effort by Liberty Township to leave the Great Meadows district based on Liberty's greater share of district costs, with the court citing the inability of the two communities to provide an efficient education separately. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprising three schools, had an enrollment of 662 students and 73.0 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 9.1:1. Schools in the district are
Central Elementary School with 221 students in grades PreK-2,
Liberty Elementary School with 204 students in grades 3-5 and
Great Meadows Middle School with 239 students in grades 6-8. Seats on the regional district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with three seats allocated to Liberty Township; one seat from Liberty Township and two from Independence Township up for election each year.
Students attending public school for ninth through twelfth grades attend Hackettstown High School which serves students from Hackettstown, along with students from the townships of Allamuchy and Liberty, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Hackettstown School District. As of the 2018–19 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 828 students and 68.6 classroom teachers, for a student–teacher ratio of 12.1:1.
Students from the township and from all of Warren County are eligible to attend Ridge and Valley Charter School in Frelinghuysen Township or Warren County Technical School in Washington borough, with special education services provided by local districts supplemented throughout the county by the Warren County Special Services School District in Oxford Township.

Transportation

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Warren County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.
The only major road to pass through is U.S. Route 46, which runs for in the township's southeastern area.
The closest limited access road is Interstate 80 in neighboring Hope Township.