Victory Gardens is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 1,520,[17][18][19] reflecting a decline of 26 (−1.7%) from the 1,546 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 232 (+17.7%) from the 1,314 counted in the 1990 Census.[20] The borough is the fourth-smallest municipality by area in the state.[21]
Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States
Victory Gardens is Morris County's smallest municipality, measured both by size and population, and its most densely populated.[22]
History
The origins of the borough began in 1941, when the federal government acquired 91 acres (370,000m2) in Randolph Township as the site of a 300-unit housing project for war industry employees. The borough's name is derived from the victory gardens planted at homes and parks during World War II to provide additional supplies of fruits and vegetables.[23][24] Streets are named for U.S. Presidents.[25]
Randolph Township residents approved a referendum as part of a September 1951 special election in which voters were asked if the township's Victory Gardens neighborhood should be removed from the township and created as an independent municipality for its 1,300 residents covering 92 acres (37ha).[26] Residents of other areas of Randolph Township argued that the compensation paid by the federal government for the more than 250 students attending the Randolph Township Schools did not adequately cover the cost of their public education, that the housing and other structures in Victory Gardens was out of compliance with the Township's building and zoning ordinances and that the overwhelming Democratic Party political leanings of residents of Victory Gardens were out of sync with the largely Republican Party township.[27]
Victory Gardens was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on June 20, 1951, from portions of Randolph Township, based on the results of the referendum passed on September 18, 1951.[28][29]
The small town made news on November 16, 1958, when 262 members of its 297 families participated voluntarily as "refugees" in a civil defense exercise, while other residents of the town — "school boys with Geiger counters, staff men with fancy helmets, girls with typewriters, Explorer Scouts, police and fire crews, medical teams and the dozens who just washed pots and pans and ladled stew" — volunteered to assist. "Those who remained home," The New York Times wrote, "were restricted in their movements by guards who patrolled the town."[30]
A project approved in 1973 brought the construction of 184 units of garden apartments on a site covering 12.4 acres (5.0ha), providing additional rateables and offering permanent housing for an estimated 400 people, that would contrast with the temporary original structures built in the 1940s that had long passed their expected lifespan.[31]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.15 square miles (0.38km2), all of which was land.[1][2]
The 2010 United States census counted 1,520 people, 533 households, and 398 families in the borough. The population density was 10,419.2 per square mile (4,022.9/km2). There were 566 housing units at an average density of 3,879.8 per square mile (1,498.0/km2). The racial makeup was 58.49% (889) White, 16.25% (247) Black or African American, 0.66% (10) Native American, 2.43% (37) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 17.43% (265) from other races, and 4.74% (72) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 62.96% (957) of the population.[17]
Of the 533 households, 41.7% had children under the age of 18; 43.0% were married couples living together; 21.8% had a female householder with no husband present and 25.3% were non-families. Of all households, 20.3% were made up of individuals and 3.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.16.[17]
26.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 34.2% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.8 males.[17]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $53,269 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,599) and the median family income was $52,500 (+/− $6,885). Males had a median income of $34,063 (+/− $5,135) versus $33,750 (+/− $9,755) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $18,340 (+/− $1,640). About 11.9% of families and 16.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.6% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.[38]
Census 2000
As of the 2000 United States Census[14] there were 1,546 people, 564 households, and 381 families residing in the borough. The population density was 10,582.6 people per square mile (3,979.4/km2). There were 588 housing units at an average density of 4,025.0 per square mile (1,513.5/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 51.36% White, 21.41% African American, 0.06% Native American, 5.43% Asian, 15.27% from other races, and 6.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 50.65% of the population.[36][37]
15.27% of Victory Gardens residents identified themselves as being of Colombian ancestry in the 2000 Census, the highest percentage of the population of any municipality in the United States.[39]
There were 564 households, out of which 39.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 17.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.21.[36][37]
In the borough the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 39.3% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 5.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.[36][37]
The median income for a household in the borough was $44,375, and the median income for a family was $43,594. Males had a median income of $32,841 versus $24,875 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $20,616. About 8.9% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 10.5% of those age 65 or over.[36][37]
Government
Local government
Victory Gardens Municipal Building
Victory Gardens is governed under the Borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 565) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.[40] The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the Borough Council, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council is comprised of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.[3] The Borough form of government used by Victory Gardens is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.[41][42][4]
As of 2022[update], the Mayor of Victory Gardens is Democrat David L. Holeman Jr., whose term of office ends December 31, 2024. Members of the Borough Council are Vera C. Cheatham (D, 2022), Ondria Garcia-Montes (D, 2024), James R. Glass (D, 2022), Stuart Hale (D, 2022), Kendyll Hedgepath (D, 2024) and Ismael Lorenzo Sr. (D, 2023).[4][43][44][45][46][47][48]
Joan Cegelka won election in November 2013 to serve the balance of the term expiring in 2014 that had been held by David Holeman before he took office as mayor, with Vera Cheatham winning re-election to a full three-year term and Independent Hector Lorenzo Jr. knocking off incumbent Sonia Hall for terms starting January 1, 2014.[49]
In December 2010, Councilmember Ondria Garcia-Montes was placed on probation for 12 months after an incident in which she falsely told police that a criminal suspect who was the subject of a search warrant was not in her apartment.[50]
Dover serves as the lead agency operating a joint municipal court that include Victory Gardens and the neighboring municipalities of Mine Hill Township, Mount Arlington and Wharton.[51] Established in 2009, the joint municipal court was forecast to offer annual savings in excess of $250,000 over the 10-year life of the agreement.[52]
In 2018, the borough had an average property tax bill of $4,417, the lowest in the county, compared to an average bill of $10,480 in Morris County and $8,767 statewide.[53][54]
Federal, state and county representation
Victory Gardens is located in the 11th Congressional District[55] and is part of New Jersey's 25th state legislative district.[18][56][57]
For the 2022–2023 session, the 25th Legislative District of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Anthony M. Bucco (R, Boonton Township) and in the General Assembly by Brian Bergen (R, Denville Township) and Aura K. Dunn (R, Mendham Borough).[62]
‹The template below (NJ Morris County Commissioners) is being considered for deletion. See templates for discussion to help reach a consensus.›
Morris County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners comprised of seven members who are elected at-large in partisan elections to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with either one or three seats up for election each year as part of the November general election.[63] Actual day-to-day operation of departments is supervised by County Administrator, John Bonanni.[64]:8 As of 2022[update], Morris County's Commissioners are
Commissioner Director Tayfun Selen (R, Chatham Township, term as commissioner ends December 31, 2023; term as director ends 2022),[65]
Commissioner Deputy Director John Krickus (R, Washington Township, term as commissioner ends 2024; term as deputy director ends 2022),[66]
Douglas Cabana (R, Boonton Township, 2022),[67]
Kathryn A. DeFillippo (R, Roxbury, 2022),[68]
Thomas J. Mastrangelo (R, Montville, 2022),[69]
Stephen H. Shaw (R, Mountain Lakes, 2024)[70] and
Deborah Smith (R, Denville, 2024).[71][64]:2[72]
The county's constitutional officers are the County Clerk and County Surrogate (both elected for five-year terms of office) and the County Sheriff (elected for a three-year term).[73] As of 2022[update], they are
County Clerk Ann F. Grossi (R, Parsippany–Troy Hills, 2023),[74][75]
Sheriff James M. Gannon (R, Boonton Township, 2022)[76][77] and
Surrogate Heather Darling (R, Roxbury, 2024).[78][79]
Politics
Victory Gardens vote by party in presidential elections
Every Democratic Party nominee for president since at least Jimmy Carter has carried Victory Gardens.
As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 523 registered voters in Victory Gardens, of which 234 (44.7%) were registered as Democrats, 58 (11.1%) were registered as Republicans and 231 (44.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.[89]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie and Democrat Barbara Buono each received 48.4% of the vote (90 cast), ahead of other candidates with 3.2% (6 votes), among the 224 ballots cast by the borough's 556 registered voters (38 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 40.3%.[90][91] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 58.4% of the vote (118 ballots cast), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 27.2% (55 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 8.4% (17 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (1 votes), among the 202 ballots cast by the borough's 544 registered voters, yielding a 37.1% turnout.[92]
Education
Victory Gardens is a non-operating school district, with all public school students in kindergarten through twelfth grade in Victory Gardens attending the schools of the Dover School District in Dover, which has been consolidated between the two municipalities since 2010.[93][94][95] As of the 2018–2019 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 3,262 students and 211.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 15.4:1.[96] Schools in the district (with 2018–2019 enrollment from the National Center for Education Statistics[97]) are
Academy Street Elementary School[98] with 547 students in grades K–6,
East Dover Elementary School[99] with 468 students in grades K–6,
North Dover Elementary School[100] with 673 students in grades Pre-K–6,
Dover Middle School[101] with 511 students in grades 7–8 and
Dover High School[102] with 983 students in grades 9–12.[103] Public school students in grades 7–12 from Mine Hill Township attend Dover Middle School and Dover High School as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Mine Hill School District.[104] The high school was recognized with the National Blue Ribbon School Award in 2013.[105]
Transportation
County Route 665 in Victory Gardens
Roads and highways
As of May2010[update], the borough had a total of 2.89 miles (4.65km) of roadways, of which 2.78 miles (4.47km) were maintained by the municipality and 0.11 miles (0.18km) by Morris County.[106]
County Route 665 (South Salem Street) runs through the northwest corner of the borough, connecting Randolph on both sides.[107]
Public transportation
NJ Transit offers local bus service on the 875 route.[108][109] NJ Transit had previously offered service in the borough on the MCM2 and MCM7 routes.[110][111]
2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 116.
Borough Government, Borough of Victory Gardens. Accessed April 12, 2022. "The Borough form remains the single most popular form of local government in New Jersey. This form dates back to the Borough Act of 1878 and was revised in 1897 and by the Borough Act of 1987. The Borough mayor is elected at-large to a four-year term. Six council members are elected at-large to staggered three-year terms. The Borough form is often referred to as a 'weak mayor-strong council' form." Note that as of date accessed, members are all listed with term-end dates that are years out of date.
Astudillo, Carla. "The 10 tiniest towns in New Jersey (they're really small)", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, November 1, 2016, updated May 16, 2019. Accessed March 5, 2020. "We used square mile data from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to rank the ten municipalities with the smallest area size.... 4. Victory Gardens This tiny borough in the middle of Morris County has over 1,500 residents spread across only 0.14 square miles. It started out as a 300-unit World War II housing project built in the town of Randolph for workers at the nearby Picatinny Arsenal."
History, Borough of Victory Gardens. Accessed October 18, 2015. "The borough was named for the victory gardens planted at private residences during World War II."
"Victory Gardens: a tiny town with an interesting past", Hidden New Jersey, March 28, 2013. Accessed October 18, 2015. "As you might have guessed from the name, Victory Gardens was born during World War II as housing for workers who were employed at nearby Picatinny Arsenal and other private defense contractors manufacturing war goods."
Historical Timeline of Morris County Boundaries, Morris County Library. Accessed December 24, 2016. "1951, September. Victory Gardens is established from Randolph. Victory Gardens had been a temporary community of defense industry workers during World War II whose municipal services were provided by Randolph Township. From PL 1951, c. 259."
Staff. "Victory Gardens Expanding", The New York Times, March 11, 1973. Accessed November 10, 2013. "Victory Gardens-This tiny community, which faces an uncertain future, is engaged in its biggest expansion ever, the development of Carmel Gardens, a 184-unit garden-apartment complex on 12.4 acres of land."
Forrest, Cindy. "Victory Gardens Council judges proposal for joint municipal court", The Record, May 18, 2012. Accessed July 29, 2015. "With Dover as the lead agency, four other area towns - Rockaway Borough, Wharton, Mine Hill, and Mt. Arlington - entered into a landmark municipal court shared-services agreement in 2009 anticipating an estimated $2.65 million savings over the 10-year life of the contract."
2018 Property Tax Information, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, updated January 16, 2019. Accessed November 7, 2019.
Marcus, Samantha. "These are the towns with the lowest property taxes in each of N.J.’s 21 counties", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, April 30, 2019. Accessed November 7, 2019. "New Jersey’s average property tax bill may have hit $8,767 last year — a new record — but taxpayers in some parts of the state pay just a fraction of that.... The average property tax bill in Victory Gardens Borough was $4,417 in 2018, the lowest in Morris County."
Plan Components Report, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.
Biography of Bob Menendez, United States Senate, January 26, 2015. "Menendez, who started his political career in Union City, moved in September from Paramus to one of Harrison's new apartment buildings near the town's PATH station.."
Board of County Commissioners, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022. "Morris County is governed by a seven-member Board of County Commissioners, who serve three-year terms."
Stephen H. Shaw, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.
Deborah Smith, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.
Commissioners, Morris County, New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.
New Jersey State Constitution (1947), Article VII, Section II, Paragraph 2, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed June 1, 2022. "County clerks, surrogates and sheriffs shall be elected by the people of their respective counties at general elections. The term of office of county clerks and surrogates shall be five years, and of sheriffs three years."
Ann F. Grossi, Esq., Office of the Morris County Clerk. Accessed June 1, 2022.
Clerks, Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey. Accessed June 1, 2022.
2009 Governor: Morris CountyArchived October 17, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed December 23, 2012.
Martin, Liz. "Voters have their say on the budgets", Neighbor News, April 28, 2010. Accessed July 11, 2016. "The school board goes from 11 members to 10 after this election as the temporary Board seat assigned to the Victory Gardens representative Danielle Press expired permanently on April 20. Now that Victory Gardens has merged with the Dover school district, there will no longer be a dedicated Victory Gardens seat on the Board. Any resident from either Dover or Victory Gardens will be eligible to run for any available Board seat."
Dover Public Schools District Policy 0110 - Identification, Dover School District. Accessed May 20, 2020. "Purpose The Board of Education exists for providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades PK through 12 in the Dover School District. Composition The Dover School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Dover in County of Morris."
Dover High School 2015 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed July 11, 2016. "Dover High School, located 40 miles from New York City, services approximately 900 high school students from the Town of Dover, the Borough of Victory Gardens, and the Township of Mine Hill."
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