borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle A ...
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, United States. As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development
The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The New Jersey Civil Service Commission is an independent body within the New Jersey state government under the auspices of t ...
. Accessed April 4, 2012. in turn reflecting a decline of 15 (−0.7%) from the 2,145 counted in the 2000 census.
Sussex was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on October 14, 1891, as Deckertown, from portions of Wantage Township. The borough's original name was for settler Peter Decker. The borough was renamed Sussex on March 2, 1902.Snyder, John P ''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968'' Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. pp. 229 and 232. Accessed April 2, 2012. The county and borough are named for the historic county of Sussex in England.
A joint commission of residents of both Sussex and Wantage had recommended that the two communities should be consolidated to form what would be called the Township of Sussex-Wantage, which would operate within the Faulkner Act under the council-manager form of government, with a mayor and a six-member township council, and that voters in both municipalities should approve a referendum to be held on November 3, 2009. The committee noted that the two municipalities share common issues, schools, library and community services and that the artificial nature of the octagonal Sussex border often made it hard to distinguish between the two. The efforts at consolidation with surrounding Wantage Township ended in November 2009 after Wantage voters rejected the merger despite support from Sussex borough residents.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, Sussex borough had a total area of 0.62 square miles (1.62 km2), including 0.59 square miles (1.54 km2) of land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km2) of water (5.00%). It is approximately above sea level. The borough is completely surrounded by Wantage Township, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.
The borough is in the watershed of the
Wallkill River
The Wallkill River, a tributary of the Hudson, drains Lake Mohawk in Sparta, New Jersey, flowing from there generally northeasterly U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed Oct ...
(which flows north, and empties into the
Rondout Creek
Rondout Creek is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 tributary of the Hudson River in Ulster and Sullivan counties, New York, United States. It rises on Rock ...
, which flows into the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
near
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, United States. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. The city's metropolitan area is grouped with the New York metropolitan area around Manhattan by the United ...
) and its
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drai ...
Glen Brook, which near Sussex forms a small body of water called Clove Lake, part of which is within the borough.
Climate
Due to its inland location and elevation, Sussex has a climate much cooler than most of the state, classified as
humid continental
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
''Dfa''), with cold, moderately snowy winters, and very warm, humid summers. It is part of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from in January to in July. Temperatures reach on 13.4 days and fall to on 5.2 nights annually. Snowfall averages per season, although this usually varies widely from year to year. Extremes in the temperature range from on January 21, 1994 up to on July 10, 1936.
median household income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways o ...
was $40,978 (with a margin of error of +/− $13,975) and the median family income was $53,125 (+/− $10,034). Males had a median income of $40,234 (+/− $9,777) versus $30,777 (+/− $3,942) for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the borough was $20,887 (+/− $2,314). About 13.0% of families and 15.1% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 22.4% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the
2000 United States census
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 cen ...
there were 2,145 people, 903 households, and 512 families residing in the borough. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was 3,598 people per square mile (1,380/km2). There were 961 housing units at an average density of 1,612/sq mi (618/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 96.32%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 1.12%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.89% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...
. Accessed February 26, 2013.
There were 903 households, out of which 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.9% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.2% were non-families. 35.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% 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 3.12.
In the borough the population was spread out, with 23.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males.
The median income for a household in the borough was $36,172, and the median income for a family was $45,250. Males had a median income of $37,009 versus $22,475 for females. The
per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the borough was $18,866. About 6.9% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Local government
Sussex is governed under the
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely.
History
In the Middle A ...
form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. 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.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...
Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...
, March 2013, p. 110. The Borough form of government used by Sussex is a "
weak mayor
Weak may refer to:
Songs
* "Weak" (AJR song), 2016
* "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011
* "Weak" (SWV song), 1993
* "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995
* "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013''
Television episodes
* "Weak" (''Fear t ...
/ 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
A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. 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.
, the
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
of Sussex Borough is
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Edward J. Meyer, whose term of office ends on December 31, 2023. Members of the Borough Council are Council President Robert Holowach (R, 2023), Frank Dykstra (R, 2023), Charles H. Fronheiser Jr. (R, 2024), Nicholas R. Holowach (R, 2022; elected to serve an unexpired term), Jake Little (R, 2024) and Mario Poggi (R, 2022).Mayor and Council Sussex Borough. Accessed May 3, 2022.Summary Results Report November 2, 2021 General Election Official Results
New Jersey Redistricting Commission
The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington; t ...
, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020. and is part of New Jersey's 24th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government'' New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019.Sussex County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners whose five members are elected at-large in partisan elections 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 Commissioner Director and Deputy Director from among its members, with day-to-day supervision of the operation of the county delegated to a County Administrator. , Sussex County's Commissioners are
Commissioner Director Anthony Fasano ( R, Hopatcong, term as commissioner and as commissioner director ends December 31, 2022),
Deputy Director Chris Carney (R, Frankford Township, term as commissioner ends 2024; term as deputy director ends 2022),
Dawn Fantasia (R, Franklin, 2024),
Jill Space (R, Wantage Township, 2022; appointed to serve an unexpired term) and
Herbert Yardley (R, Stillwater Township, 2023). In May 2022, Jill Space was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Sylvia Petillo until she resigned from office.
Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are
County Clerk Jeffrey M. Parrott (R, Wantage Township, 2026),
Sheriff Michael F. Strada (R, Hampton Township, 2022) and
Surrogate Gary R. Chiusano (R, Frankford Township, 2023). The County Administrator is Gregory V. Poff II, whose appointment expires in 2025.
Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 1,143 registered voters in Sussex, of which 193 (16.9% vs. 16.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 428 (37.4% vs. 39.3%) were registered as Republicans and 521 (45.6% vs. 44.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There was one voter registered to another party.Voter Registration Summary - Sussex New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed February 26, 2013. Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 53.7% (vs. 65.8% in Sussex County) were registered to vote, including 69.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 86.5% countywide).
In the
2012 presidential election
This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included.
January
*3–4 January ...
, Republican Mitt Romney received 391 votes (57.8% vs. 59.4% countywide), ahead of Democrat
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
with 270 votes (39.9% vs. 38.2%) and other candidates with 16 votes (2.4% vs. 2.1%), among the 677 ballots cast by the borough's 1,146 registered voters, for a turnout of 59.1% (vs. 68.3% in Sussex County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 427 votes (57.1% vs. 59.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
with 299 votes (40.0% vs. 38.7%) and other candidates with 18 votes (2.4% vs. 1.5%), among the 748 ballots cast by the borough's 1,109 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.4% (vs. 76.9% in Sussex County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
received 456 votes (62.0% vs. 63.9% countywide), ahead of Democrat
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...
with 263 votes (35.7% vs. 34.4%) and other candidates with 16 votes (2.2% vs. 1.3%), among the 736 ballots cast by the borough's 1,091 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.5% (vs. 77.7% in the whole county).
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican
Chris Christie
Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018.
Christie, who was born in N ...
received 70.8% of the vote (276 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barbara Buono
Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...
with 25.4% (99 votes), and other candidates with 3.8% (15 votes), among the 397 ballots cast by the borough's 1,148 registered voters (7 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 34.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 291 votes (56.8% vs. 63.3% countywide), ahead of Democrat
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...
with 140 votes (27.3% vs. 25.7%), Independent
Chris Daggett
Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...
with 59 votes (11.5% vs. 9.1%) and other candidates with 16 votes (3.1% vs. 1.3%), among the 512 ballots cast by the borough's 1,109 registered voters, yielding a 46.2% turnout (vs. 52.3% in the county).
Education
Students in public school for
kindergarten
Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th ce ...
twelfth grade
Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...
s, public school students from both Sussex and Wantage attend
High Point Regional High School
High Point Regional High School is a comprehensive four-year public high school located in Wantage Township, New Jersey, United States (with a Sussex postal address), which is the sole high school in its school district.
The district educate ...
, together with students from Branchville, Frankford Township, Lafayette Township and Montague Township. As of the 2019–2020 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 866 students and 76.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.3:1. Seats on the high school district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with two seats assigned to Sussex.
Sussex Christian School is an inter-denominational Christian private day school that was founded in 1958 by members of the Sussex Christian Reformed Church, and which serves students from Northern New Jersey and the surrounding communities in New York and Pennsylvania.
Transportation
Roads and highways
, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Sussex County and by the
New Jersey Department of Transportation
The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transporta ...
Local bus service is provided by the Skylands Connect bus, which provides service to Hamburg, Sparta, and Newton.
Sussex Airport is located southwest of Sussex.
Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Sussex include:
* Grant Decker (1814–1890), first mayor of Flint, Michigan
*
Paul W. Downs
Paul W. Downs (born November 21, 1982) is an American actor, writer, director, and producer. He is the co-creator, co-showrunner and star of the critically-acclaimed HBO Max series ''Hacks'', for which he has received a Primetime Emmy, Golden G ...
(born 1982), Emmy-Award winning American actor, writer, and director best known for his portrayal of Trey Pucker on the
Comedy Central
Comedy Central is an American basic cable channel owned by Paramount Global through its network division's MTV Entertainment Group unit, based in Manhattan. The channel is geared towards young adults aged 18–34 and carries comedy programmin ...
series ''
Broad City
''Broad City'' is an American television sitcom created by and starring Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson. It was developed from their independent web series of the same name, which was produced between 2009 and 2011. The sitcom, like the web series ...
''
* D. C. Fontana (1939–2019), television script writer and story editor, best known for her work on the original '' Star Trek'' franchise and several
western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
first baseman
A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...
who played four seasons of professional baseball for the
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...
William Alexander Linn William Alexander Linn (born Sussex, New Jersey, 4 September 1846; died 23 February 1917) was a United States journalist and historian.
Biography
He graduated from Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts, in 1864, at Yale in 1868, and in 1883 was ...
(1846–1917), journalist and historian
*
Homer Mensch Homer Mensch (November 14, 1914 in Sussex, New Jersey – December 9, 2005 in Manhattan, New York) was a prominent classical bassist who was a former member of the Pittsburgh Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the New York Pops, and the NBC ...
(1914–2005), classical bassistApplebaum, Samuel; and Applebaum, Sara ''The Way They Play, Book 2'' p. 333. Paganiniana Publications, 1972. . Accessed June 18, 2020. "Homer R. Mensch, born November 13, 1914 in Sussex, New Jersey."