Edgewater (Maps), New Jersey

Edgewater was originally formed on December 7, 1894, from portions of Ridgefield Township as the Borough of Undercliff, at the height of the "Boroughitis" phenomenon then sweeping through Bergen County. The name was changed to Edgewater on November 8, 1899.

Geography

Edgewater is located at 40°49′48″N, 73°58′26″W (40.829893, -73.973911).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.3 km²), of which, 0.9 square miles (2.2 km²) of it is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) of it (64.88%) is water.

Population 1930 - 1990

As of the census of 2000, there were 7,677 people, 3,836 households, and 1,971 families residing in the borough. The population density was 9,060.6 people per square mile (3,487.2/km²). There were 4,277 housing units at an average density of 5,047.8/sq mi (1,942.8/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 67.12% White, 3.52% African American, 0.21% Native American, 23.12% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.94% from other races, and 3.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.45% of the population.

There were 3,836 households out of which 20.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 48.6% were non-families. 39.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.00 and the average family size was 2.70.

In the borough the population was spread out with 15.4% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 46.7% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.9 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $63,455, and the median income for a family was $72,692. Males had a median income of $50,795 versus $49,238 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $42,650. About 6.2% of families and 8.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.

As of the 2000 census, 11.83% of Edgewater's residents identified themselves as being of Korean ancestry, which was the ninth highest in the United States and seventh highest of any municipality in New Jersey, for all places with 1,000 or more residents identifying their ancestry. In the same census, 3.22% of Edgewater's residents identified themselves as being of Japanese ancestry, which was the third highest of any municipality in New Jersey, behind Fort Lee (6.09%) and Demarest (3.72%).

Government

The Borough of Edgewater was chartered in 1894 under the Borough form of government in which the Mayor is elected to a four-year term and six council members are elected at large on a partisan basis to serve staggered three-year terms, with two seats coming up for election each year

The Mayor of Edgewater is Agnes "Nancy" Merse (D), whose term expires on December 31, 2011. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Juanita "Neda" Rose (D; 2009), James Delaney (D; 2009), Denis Gallagher (I; 2008), David Jordan (D; 2010), Beatrice M. Robbio (I; 2008) and David Weschler (I; 2010).

In elections held on November 6, 2007, voters filled a four-year term for mayor and two three-year seats on the Borough Council. Incumbent Democratic Mayor Agnes "Nancy" Merse (861 votes) won re-election to a second term in office, defeating Independent Valory T. Bardinas (803), a former councilmember. In the council race, Democrat David B. Jordan (815) won re-election and Independent David W. Weschler (796) won a first term, outrunning Democratic incumbent Maureen Holtje (760), Independent Mary C. Hogan (742) and Republican Ayelet Ann Weiss (147). The 2008 council taking office in January will be split evenly between Democrats and Independents, with the Democratic Party mayor having a tiebreaking vote.

On Election Day, November 7, 2006, in the race for two three-year seats on the Borough Council, Democratic Party newcomer James Delaney (1,224 votes) obtained his first term on the Council, followed by Democratic incumbent Neda Rose (1,180) who earned her fifth term in office. Independent incumbent Valory Bardinas was in third (1,134), falling short in her bid for re-election to a third term, and fellow Independent Mary Hogan came in fourth (1,123) in her attempt for office after previously serving three terms on the Council. Delaney's victory gives the Democrats control of the Council by a 4-2 margin, breaking a 3-3 deadlock.

Federal, state and county representation

Edgewater is in the Ninth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 38th Legislative District.

New Jersey's Ninth Congressional District, covering the southern portion of Bergen County and sections of Hudson County and Passaic County, is represented by Steve Rothman (D, Fair Lawn). New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Bob Menendez (D, Hoboken).

For the 2008-2009 Legislative Session, the 38th district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Robert M. Gordon (D, Fair Lawn) and in the Assembly by Joan Voss (D, Fort Lee) and Connie Wagner (D, Paramus). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).

Bergen County's County Executive is Dennis McNerney (D). The executive, along with the seven-member Board of Chosen Freeholders administer all county business. As of 2008, Bergen County's Freeholders are Chairman Tomas J. Padilla (D, Park Ridge), Vice-Chairman Elizabeth Calabrese (D, Wallington), James M. Carroll (D, Demarest), David L. Ganz (D, Fair Lawn), Bernadette P. McPherson (D, Rutherford), Julie O'Brien (D, Ramsey) and Vernon Walton (D, Englewood).

Other countywide elected officials are Sheriff Leo McGuire (D), Surrogate Court Judge Mike Dressler (D, Cresskill) County Clerk Kathleen Donovan (R, Rutherford).

Politics

As of April 1, 2006, out of a 2004 Census estimated population of 9,358 in Edgewater, there were 4,829 registered voters (51.6% of the population, vs. 55.4% in all of Bergen County). Of registered voters, 1,463 (30.3% vs. 20.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 349 (7.2% vs. 19.2% countywide) were registered as Republicans and 3,016 (62.5% vs. 60.1% countywide) were registered as Undeclared. There was one voter registered to another party.

On the national level, Edgewater leans toward the Democratic Party. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 65% of the vote here, defeating Republican George W. Bush, who received around 34%.

On the local level, Edgewater has its own two-party system, split between the Democratic Party and the Independent Coalition for a Better Edgewater. The Republican Party has minimal presence and doesn't always run a slate in local elections. The perennial local political issue is managing growth.

Education

Public school students in grades K to 6 attend the Eleanor Van Gelder School which serves 406 students and is the lone school of the Edgewater Public Schools.

For grades 7 - 12, public school students are sent to the Leonia Public Schools as part of a sending/receiving relationship. Students attend Leonia Middle School for grades 7 and 8 (a school with a total of 443 students in grades 6 - 8), and Leonia High School which has had 630 students in grades 9 - 12, all as of 2005-06

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