WEST PATERSON, NEW JERSEY

'West Paterson' is a borough in Passaic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 10,987.
West Paterson was formed as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 25, 1914, from portions of Little Falls Township, based on the results of a referendum held on May 1, 1914."The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968", John P. Snyder, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 211.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Government

Local government

Federal, state and county representation

Education

References

External links

Geography

West Paterson is located at (40.893698, -74.198904).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 8.0 km² (3.1 mi²). 7.7 km² (3.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (4.53%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,987 people, 4,397 households, and 3,025 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,433.1/km² (3,715.5/mi²). There were 4,497 housing units at an average density of 586.6/km² (1,520.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the borough was 86.53% White, 3.16% African American, 0.08% Native American, 3.83% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.17% from other races, and 3.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.06% of the population.
As of the 2000 census, 34.3% of West Paterson residents were of Italian ancestry, the 18th-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States, and seventh-highest in New Jersey, among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.^[1]
There were 4,397 households out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.2% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the borough the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 33.9% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $60,273, and the median income for a family was $67,292. Males had a median income of $47,389 versus $36,814 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $29,758. About 3.2% of families and 3.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

The Borough of West Paterson was chartered by the State of New Jersey to function under a variation of the Faulkner Act's, Small Municipality Plan C of the Option Municipal Charter Law form of government.
The Mayor and six Council members serve staggered terms. A partisan municipal election is held every year in November. One year the voters choose a new mayor. The next year, three council members must be chosen. Then in the third year the other three council members are elected. A government reorganization takes place on January 1st of every year, at which time a mayor-elect or newly elected council members are sworn in.
Serving a three-year term, the Mayor exercises executive power and appoints department heads with Council approval.
The Council may adopt the municipal budget proposed by the Mayor, but revisions may be required by a majority of the governing body before final approval.
The Mayor of West Paterson Borough is Pat Lepore (D), whose current term of office ends December 31, 2008, and who also serves on the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Members of the West Paterson Borough Council are Council President Keith Kazmark (D, 2007), Ruth Patterson (D, 2009), Tina Gatti (D, 2009), Rita Pascrell (D, 2007), Dominick Di Domenico (D, 2009), Joseph Spinelli (D, 2007).^[2]

Federal, state and county representation

West Paterson is in the Eighth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 34th Legislative District.^[3]

Education

Students in public school for Kindergarten through eighth grade are educated by the West Paterson School District. Schools in the district (with 2004-05 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics^[4]) are the two K-4 elementary schools — Beatrice Gilmore School with 212 students and Charles Olbon School with 304 students — and Memorial School with an enrollment of 402 students in grades 5-8.
For grades 9 - 12, public students attend Passaic Valley Regional High School. The high school serves students from Little Falls Township, Totowa Borough and West Paterson. The school facility is located in Little Falls Township.^[5]
The Garrett Mountain campus of Berkeley College is located in West Paterson.

References

1. Italian Communities, Epodunk. Accessed June 9, 2007.
2. West Paterson Mayor & Council, accessed January 12, 2007.
3. 2006 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government, New Jersey League of Women Voters, p. 66. Accessed August 30, 2006.
4. Educational statistics for the West Paterson School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed May 14, 2007.
5. District Information, Passaic Valley High School. Accessed June 20, 2007. "The regional district which is served by Passaic Valley High School is comprised of the communities of Little Falls, Totowa Borough and West Paterson."

External links

★ Borough of West Paterson website

★ West Paterson School District

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★ National Center for Education Statistics data for the West Paterson School District

★ Passaic Valley Regional High School

★ West Paterson Volunteer Fire Department Website

★ West Paterson Volunteer First Aid Squad Website

★ Rifle Camp Fire Company 3 Website

★ West Paterson Public Library

★ West Paterson Democrats Website

★ West Paterson Republicans Website

★ WXWP-NJ Lighthouse Weather - Serving West Paterson and surrounding areas