BEDMINSTER TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY

'Bedminster Township' is a Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 8,302.
Bedminster Township was created by Royal Charter on April 4, 1749, from portions of the Northern precinct. It was formally incorporated by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken on March 28, 1912, to form Peapack-Gladstone."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 221.
Bedminster was the corporate headquarters of AT&T, prior to its merger with SBC Communications (now known as AT&T Inc.). It was also the corporate headquarters for Verizon Wireless before it was relocated to Basking Ridge in 2006.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Government

Local government

Federal, state and county representation

Education

Points of interest

Notable residents

References

External links

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 68.6 km² (26.5 mi²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 8,302 people, 4,235 households, and 2,100 families residing in the township. The population density was 121.1/km² (313.6/mi²). There were 4,467 housing units at an average density of 65.2/km² (168.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the township was 90.05% White, 1.75% African American, 0.11% Native American, 6.41% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.83% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.84% of the population.
There were 4,235 households out of which 20.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.8% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.4% were non-families. 44.0% 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 1.96 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the township the population was spread out with 17.8% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 40.3% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 85.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.1 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $71,550, and the median income for a family was $96,890. Males had a median income of $71,136 versus $48,589 for females. The per capita income for the township was $53,549. About 1.9% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

Bedminster Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey Municipal government by a five-member Township Committee. Members are elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held during teh first week of January, the committee selects one of its members to serve as mayor.^[1]
Members of the Bedminster Township Committee (with their term end dates listed) are Mayor Robert F. Holtaway (term ends December 31, 2009), Finn Caspersen, Jr. (2009), Don Cross (2007), Bernie Pane (2007) and Sally Rubin (2008).^[2]

Federal, state and county representation

Bedminster Township is in the Seventh Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 16th Legislative District.^[3]

Education

Students in grades Pre-K through 8 attend the Bedminster Township Public School, which has an enrollment of 620, a staff of 66 teachers and a full time Child Study Team.
230 public school students attend grades 9-12 at Bernards High School, as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Somerset Hills Regional School District, a K - 12 district serving students from Bernardsville, Far Hills, Peapack-Gladstone, and Pluckemin

Points of interest

★ Natirar

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Bedminster Township include:

★ John De Lorean - founder of the De Lorean Motor Company.^[4]

★ Steve Forbes - editor-in-chief of ''Forbes'' magazine and president and chief executive officer of its publisher, Forbes Inc.^[5]

★ Robert Wood Johnson IV - Owner of the New York Jets football team and great-grandson of the founder of the Johnson & Johnson Corporation.

★ Thomas Kean - former Governor of New Jersey and Chairman of the 9/11 Commission.^[6]

★ John Van Dyke (1807-1878), represented in the United States House of Representatives from 1847 to 1851.^[7]

References

1. Your Municipal Government, Bedminster Township. Accessed August 25, 2007.
2. 2007 Bedminster Township Committee, Bedminster Township. Accessed August 25, 2007.
3. League of Women Voters: 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, p. 54, accessed August 30, 2006
4. Festival celebrates the De Lorean, BBC News, May 24, 2001
5. Steve Forbes, ''The Washington Post'', August 17, 1999
6. WEDDINGS; Rhonda Norton, Thomas Kean Jr., ''The New York Times'', November 13, 1994
7. John Van Dyke, ''Biographical Directory of the United States Congress''. Accessed September 1, 2007.

External links

★ Bedminster Township website

★ Bedminster Township Public School

★

★ National Center for Education Statistics data for the Bedminster Township Public School

★ The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills

★ Somerset Hills School District