Upper Penns Neck Township was formed on July 10, 1721, when Penn's Neck Township was subdivided and Lower Penns Neck Township (now Pennsville Township) was also formed. The township was incorporated by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's original group of 104 townships.[22] Portions of the township were taken to form Oldmans Township (February 7, 1881) and Penns Grove borough (March 8, 1894).[22] The township was renamed Carneys Point Township based on the results of a Township meeting held on November 10, 1976, after voters approved a referendum held eight days earlier.[23]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 17.78 square miles (46.05 km2), including 16.91 square miles (43.80 km2) of land and 0.87 square miles (2.25 km2) of water (4.88%).[1][2] The Salem River flows along a portion of the township's southern boundary.[24]
Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Biddles Landing, Helms Cove, Iddles Landing, Laytons Lake and Riddles Landing.[29][30]
The township is home to the Dupont Corporation Chambers Works, a facility covering 1,445 acres (585 ha) that was listed No. 4 on the Mother Jones top 20 polluters of 2010, legally discharging over 5,000,000 pounds (2,300,000 kg) of toxic chemicals into New Jersey and Delaware River waterways.[33] In 2016, the township initiated a $1.1 billion lawsuit against the corporation, accusing it of divesting the Chambers Works to Chemours without first remediating the property as required by law to address the 100,000,000 pounds (45,000,000 kg) of pollutants emitted into the soil and water in the century that the facility has been in operation.[34]
The 2010 United States census counted 8,049 people, 3,264 households, and 2,033 families in the township. The population density was 477.3 inhabitants per square mile (184.3/km2). There were 3,502 housing units at an average density of 207.7 per square mile (80.2/km2). The racial makeup was 74.08% (5,963) White, 16.91% (1,361) Black or African American, 0.21% (17) Native American, 0.81% (65) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 5.65% (455) from other races, and 2.34% (188) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.18% (900) of the population.[19]
Of the 3,264 households, 23.7% had children under the age of 18; 43.8% were married couples living together; 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 37.7% were non-families. Of all households, 32.2% were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.97.[19]
20.1% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 24.7% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 90.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 85.3 males.[19]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $51,277 (with a margin of error of +/− $4,039) and the median family income was $65,224 (+/− $7,825). Males had a median income of $46,529 (+/− $2,972) versus $39,722 (+/− $5,309) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,020 (+/− $2,212). About 4.3% of families and 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.[47]
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census[16] there were 7,684 people, 3,121 households, and 2,050 families residing in the township. The population density was 439.1 inhabitants per square mile (169.5/km2). There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of 190.3 per square mile (73.5/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 78.53% White, 16.27% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.91% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.10% from other races, and 1.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.98% of the population.[45][46]
There were 3,121 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.99.[45][46]
In the township the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.[45][46]
The median income for a household in the township was $41,007, and the median income for a family was $52,213. Males had a median income of $39,861 versus $26,773 for females. The per capita income for the township was $19,978. About 8.3% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.9% of those under age 18 and 9.0% of those age 65 or over.[45][46]
Government
Local government
Carneys Point Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state.[48] 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.[7][49] At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.
As of 2022[update], members of the Carneys Point Township Committee are Mayor Kenneth H. Brown (D, term on committee ends December 31, 2023; term as mayor ends 2022), Deputy Mayor Patrick D. Bomba (D, term on committee ends 2024; term as deputy mayor ends 2022), Marcus E. Dowe Jr. (D, 2022), Kenneth R. Dennis (R, 2023; elected to serve an unexpired term) and Wayne D. Pelura (R, 2022).[3][50][51][52][53]
After counting all ballots in the November 2014 general election, incumbent Democrat Charles C. Newton and his Republican challenger Joseph F. Racite were deadlocked at 1,001 votes for the second of two seats up for vote on the township committee, despite Newton's initial four-vote edge after the machine votes were counted.[54] In a runoff election held on December 30, Racite prevailed and was elected to take the seat by a 660–585 margin.[55][56]
Federal, state and county representation
Carneys Point Township is located in the 2nd Congressional District[57] and is part of New Jersey's 3rd state legislative district.[58][59][60]
Salem County is governed by a five-member Board of County Commissioners who are elected at-large to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects a Director and a Deputy Director from among its members.[64] As of 2025[update], Salem County's Commissioners (with party, residence, and term-end year listed in parentheses) are:
Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are:
Clerk Dale A. Cross (R, Pennsville Township, 2029),[66][67]
Sheriff Charles M. Miller (R, Salem, 2027)[68][69] and
Surrogate Nicki A. Burke (D, Woodstown, 2025).[70][71]
Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 5,154 registered voters in Carneys Point Township, of which 1,587 (30.8% vs. 30.6% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 927 (18.0% vs. 21.0%) were registered as Republicans and 2,640 (51.2% vs. 48.4%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered as either Libertarians or Greens.[72] Among the township's 2010 Census population, 64.0% (vs. 64.6% in Salem County) were registered to vote, including 80.1% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 84.4% countywide).[72][73]
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 58.1% of the vote (1,974 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 40.6% (1,379 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (46 votes), among the 3,429 ballots cast by the township's 5,397 registered voters (30 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 63.5%.[74][75] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,138 votes (57.3% vs. 50.4% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 1,494 votes (40.0% vs. 46.6%) and other candidates with 61 votes (1.6% vs. 1.6%), among the 3,732 ballots cast by the township's 5,471 registered voters, for a turnout of 68.2% (vs. 71.8% in Salem County).[76] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 1,671 votes (52.6% vs. 45.9% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 1,455 votes (45.8% vs. 52.5%) and other candidates with 28 votes (0.9% vs. 1.0%), among the 3,177 ballots cast by the township's 4,886 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.0% (vs. 71.0% in the whole county).[77]
United States presidential election results for Carneys Point Township 2024[78] 2020[79] 2016[80] 2012[81] 2008[82] 2004[83]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 61.4% of the vote (1,352 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 36.5% (804 votes), and other candidates with 2.0% (45 votes), among the 2,375 ballots cast by the township's 5,308 registered voters (174 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 44.7%.[84][85] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 987 ballots cast (42.7% vs. 39.9% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 926 votes (40.1% vs. 46.1%), Independent Chris Daggett with 209 votes (9.0% vs. 9.7%) and other candidates with 47 votes (2.0% vs. 2.0%), among the 2,312 ballots cast by the township's 5,406 registered voters, yielding a 42.8% turnout (vs. 47.3% in the county).[86]
As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 2,185 students and 182.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.0:1.[90] Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[91]) are
Lafayette-Pershing School[92] with 331 students in grades Pre-K to Kindergarten,
Field Street School[93] with 480 students in grades 1–3,
Paul W. Carleton School[94] with 355 students in grades 4–5,
Penns Grove Middle School[95] with 465 students in grades 6–8 and
Penns Grove High School[96] with 508 students in grades 9–12.[97]
The Catholic K–8 school Bishop Guilfoyle Regional Catholic School in Carneys Point closed in 2010.[98] As of 2020[update] Guardian Angels Regional School (Pre-K–Grade 3 campus in Gibbstown CDP and 4–8 campus in Paulsboro) takes students from Carneys Point.[99]
Transportation
Roads and highways
Carneys Point hosts various state routes, US routes, and limited access roads. As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 78.17 miles (125.80 km) of roadways, of which 35.61 miles (57.31 km) were maintained by the municipality, 20.50 miles (32.99 km) by Salem County and 17.37 miles (27.95 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 4.69 miles (7.55 km) by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.[100]
The New Jersey Turnpike is the most significant highway to travel through the township, which houses Interchange 1 and its high-speed toll gate featuring E-ZPass Express Lanes, and a "lighthouse" to mark the gateway of New Jersey.[101][102]Interstate 295 also passes through and two exits are within the township: Exits 2 and 4.[103]U.S. Route 40 runs through the southern part of the municipality while U.S. Route 130 travels through the northwest and goes right into Carneys Point. For state roads, the township houses Route 48, Route 49 and Route 140. Two major county routes that pass through are County Route 540 and County Route 551.
^ abTownship Committee, Carneys Point Township. Accessed May 29, 2022. "Carneys Point Township is governed under the Township form of government. 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 and another as Deputy Mayor."
^Carney's Point TownshipArchived September 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, Salem County, New Jersey. Accessed July 5, 2011. "At the general election held on November 2, 1976, the citizens of Upper Penns Neck Township in Salem County voted 1931 to 887 in favor of changing the township's name to Carneys Point Township... The change became effective with that official Township Committee meeting of November 10, 1976."
^Milo, Paul. "Small N.J. town files $1.1 billion lawsuit against DuPont", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 21, 2016. "A lawsuit filed earlier this month alleges that chemical giant DuPont spun off a local factory complex in an attempt to avoid more than $1 billion needed to clean up nearly a century's worth of pollution. Chambers Works, where a chemical used in the non-stick coating Teflon was made, released over 100 million pounds of toxic chemicals into the water and ground from the late 19th century until the early 1970s, affecting residential areas as far as two miles away, according to the suit filed on behalf of Carneys Point in Salem County."
^Young, Alex. "Joe Racite named unofficial winner of Carneys Point run off election", South Jersey Times, December 30, 2014. Accessed February 13, 2015. "It took nearly two months, but Republican Joe Racite was named the unofficial winner of the final open seat on the township committee in a run off election Tuesday. Racite received 660 of the 1,245 total votes, edging out Democrat Charles Newton by 75 votes, according to the unofficial tallies recorded by the Salem County Board of Elections Tuesday night. Racite and Newton were deadlocked at 1,001 votes each after November's General Election."
^Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2018. Accessed March 22, 2020. "The Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District (hereafter referred to as the 'School District') is a Type II district located in the County of Salem, State of New Jersey. As a Type ll district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education. The Board is comprised of nine members elected to three-year terms. These terms are staggered so that three members'terms expire each year. The purpose of the School District is to educate students in grades K-12 at its five schools."
^Bumpus, Robert L. "Salem County Report on Consolidation and Regionalization", Office of the Executive County Superintendent of Salem County, March 15, 2010, available at the website of the Asbury Park Press. Accessed September 2, 2013. "A contiguous elementary district, Oldmans Township, sends its students primarily to Penns Grove High School and a smaller number of students to Woodstown High School."
^Patton, Phil. "DRIVING; A Pool and a Lighthouse? No, a Toll Plaza", The New York Times, June 18, 2004. Accessed September 2, 2013. "At the end of this month, traffic will start flowing through a gleaming new $45 million glass and steel toll plaza at Exit 1, the southern end of the turnpike, near Carneys Point, N.J..... At its center is an 81-foot tower reminiscent of a lighthouse and meant to evoke the Jersey Shore and tourist destinations."
^Isaac, Dave. "Q&A with Carneys Point native Johnny Gaudreau", Courier-Post, July 26, 2017. Accessed October 26, 2017. "South Jersey's brightest hockey star, Johnny Gaudreau, is holding a charity golf tournament on Friday with proceeds benefiting his alma mater, Gloucester Catholic. It's the second annual event for the Carneys Point native who has been an All-Star in each of his first three years in the NHL."
^Koh, Elizabeth. "A Florida lawmaker defied 'grandmotherly' image", Miami Herald, June 29, 2017. Accessed October 26, 2017. "That desire to help others was rooted in her parents, Herbert and Christine Letts, who both taught at the high school in rural South Jersey where Metcalf grew up. But Elizabeth 'Betty' Metcalf, born in Carney's Point, New Jersey, on Aug. 28, 1921, bucked her Methodist parents' firm Republican beliefs, becoming a passionate Democrat."
^"Eight young drivers to compete for spots in NASCAR Drive for Diversity Youth Driver Development Program", NASCAR. Accessed February 17, 2023. "The invitees also include 15-year-old Lavar Scott from Carneys Point, New Jersey, who finished third in points at Airport Speedway in the 600cc Micro Sprint located in New Castle, Delaware, and Rajah Caruth, a 16-year-old from Washington, D.C., who in just nine months earned more than 20 iRacing wins and 157 top 5s in 359 starts."
^Chappelear, Scott. "Gloucester Catholic's Mike Shawaryn prepares to hear his name called in MLB Draft", South Jersey Times, June 6, 2013. Accessed October 26, 2017. "This is one hectic week for Gloucester Catholic High School pitcher Mike Shawaryn.... Then there's the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft which began Thursday night, where the Carneys Point resident could hear or see his name called by the end of today before the 10th round concludes."