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Freeholders Call On Census Bureau To Correct Information
OCEAN COUNTY - Toms River Township is Ocean County's largest municipality and the seventh largest town in New Jersey. Or is it?
A quick search of the U.S. Census Bureau finds no mention of Toms River Township, or the former Dover Township, in New Jersey's top population rankings. And if the federal government doesn't recognize Toms River Township for what it is, neither may large business looking to locate in Ocean County.
The reason? A quirk in the way the federal government defines "townships" results in some of the Garden State's largest communities going unrecognized. Most townships outside of New Jersey are unincorporated and listed by the census bureau as "minor civil divisions." In New Jersey, all municipalities, whether they are boroughs, towns, cities or townships are incorporated municipalities.
"While the census bureau is aware of the discrepancy, it has to date refused to take action and correct the problem," said Freeholder Joseph H. Vicari. Vicari said the incorrect census listings could have an adverse economic impact on the affected townships. "A large nationwide chain could look at these numbers and not realize the large populations we have in townships like Toms River, Brick, Lakewood and Jackson," he said. "It's hard to believe, but because these municipalities chose to use the title 'township,' their growing populations are all but ignored by the census bureau."
A list of the top 10 largest municipalities in New Jersey compiled by Washington D.C. includes Union City, East Orange, Passaic and Clifton. It ignores Toms River Township, Woodbridge Township, Edison Township and Hamilton Township, even though these municipalities have larger populations than the previous four towns. The Ocean County Board of Chosen Freeholders unanimously passed a resolution calling on the census bureau to retool the way townships are recognized. Copies of the resolution have also been forwarded to the state's congressional delegation, Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg and the clerks of the other 20 county boards of chosen freeholders.
"Shakespeare said 'a rose by any other name,' but in New Jersey, a township by any other name can still have a heck of a lot of people," Vicari said.
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