Location of Lower Township inCape May County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Cape May County inNew Jersey highlighted in red (right).
Before the region was settled by Europeans, theKechemeche tribe of theLenapeNative Americans inhabitedSouth Jersey, and traveled to the barrier islands during the summer to hunt and fish.[24][25][26] On August 28, 1609, English explorerHenry Hudson entered theDelaware Bay and stayed one day on land, north of what is nowCape May Point.[27] In 1630, representatives of theDutch West India Company purchased a 16 sq mi (41 km2) tract of land along the Delaware from indigenous people, and additional land in the county was purchased 11 years later.[27] Due to the large number of whales in the region ofCape May, Dutch explorers founded Town Bank around 1640 as a whaling village in what is now Lower Township. It was the first European settlement in Cape May County. The village once functioned as thecourt house for the county, along with Coxehall, built by Dr.Daniel Coxe to be a center for amanorial style of government.[28][29][30] The sole remaining section of the original structure, which was moved several times during its history, is now preserved as Coxe Hall Cottage atHistoric Cold Spring Village, a 19th-century living history museum in Lower Township.[31]
Lower Township was formed as a precinct on April 2, 1723, and was incorporated by an act of theNew Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798, as one of New Jersey's initial group of 104 townships established by theTownship Act of 1798.[24] The township's name came from its location when Cape May was split into three townships in 1723 at the same time thatMiddle Township andUpper Township were created.[32][33]
Portions of the township were taken to form Cape Island Borough (March 8, 1848; now known asCape May city),Cape May Point borough (created April 19, 1878; restored to Lower Township on April 8, 1896; re-created April 6, 1908),Holly Beach (April 14, 1885, now part ofWildwood city),South Cape May (August 27, 1894; restored to Lower Township after the borough was dissolved on April 30, 1945),Wildwood Crest (April 6, 1910), andNorth Cape May (March 19, 1928; restored to Lower Township after it was dissolved on April 30, 1945).[24]
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 31.06 square miles (80.45 km2), including 27.38 square miles (70.91 km2) of land and 3.69 square miles (9.54 km2) of water (11.86%).[2][3]
Schellengers Landing is where boats dock and where a bridge between Cape Island and the mainland is located. Schellengers Landing was named after people who moved from New England to New Jersey in the 1600s.[41] There were multiple families with the Schellenger name who had settled the area.[42] Schellengers Landing is connected toCape May city via a bridge,[41] and is onRoute 109.[43] The name of the community is spelled differently in different works.[42]
Of the 9,579 households, 22.6% had children under the age of 18; 49.3% were married couples living together; 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 33.7% were non-families. Of all households, 28.7% were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.89.[20]
19.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 31.0% from 45 to 64, and 21.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 90.1 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 86.9 males.[20]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010American Community Survey showed that (in 2010inflation-adjusted dollars)median household income was $51,101 (with a margin of error of +/− $2,460) and the median family income was $62,587 (+/− $7,438). Males had a median income of $50,572 (+/− $3,361) versus $35,978 (+/− $2,297) for females. Theper capita income for the borough was $28,175 (+/− $1,295). About 6.6% of families and 10.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.[59]
As of the2000 U.S. census,[16] there were 22,945 people, 9,328 households, and 6,380 families residing in the township. The population density was 813.0 inhabitants per square mile (313.9/km2). There were 13,924 housing units at an average density of 493.4 per square mile (190.5/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 96.26%White, 1.39%African American, 0.23%Native American, 0.53%Asian, 0.02%Pacific Islander, 0.65% fromother races, and 0.92% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.88% of the population.[57][58]
There were 9,328 households, out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.9% weremarried couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.6% were non-families. 27.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.95.[57][58]
In the township, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 24.4% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.2 males.[57][58]
The median income for a household in the township was $38,977, and the median income for a family was $45,058. Males had a median income of $35,201 versus $24,715 for females. Theper capita income for the township was $19,786. About 5.3% of families and 7.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 10.3% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.[57][58]
Lower Township operates within theFaulkner Act, formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law, under theCouncil-Manager form of government, which was adopted in 1984. The township is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government.[60] The council is comprised of five members—the Mayor, the Council Member-at-Large and threeWard seats—each elected on a partisan basis to four-year terms on a staggered basis, with either two seats (mayor and council at-large) or the three ward seats up for election in even-numbered years on an alternating basis as part of the November general election.[8][61][4] The Mayor presides at all Council meetings and has a voice and vote in the proceedings. Powers are limited to those expressly conferred by the Charter. The Manager serves the council for an indefinite term of office and may be removed by a majority vote of the council. The Manager is the chief executive and administrator of the Township.
As of 2023[update], members of the Lower Township Council areMayor Frank Sippel (R, term ends December 31, 2024; At Large),Deputy Mayor David Perry (R, 2024; At Large), Thomas Conrad (R, 2026; Ward I), Kevin Coombs (R, 2026; Ward II) and Roland A. Roy Jr. (R, 2026; Ward III).[4][62][63][64][65]
Erik Simonsen won a special election in November 2013 to fill the seat of Glenn Douglass, who had resigned two months earlier and whose seat had been filled on an interim basis by Jackie Henderson.[66]
In January 2017, Roland Roy was selected from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the Third Ward seat vacated by Erik Simonsen when he took office as mayor; Roy served on an interim basis until the November 2017 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term through December 2018.[67][68]
In February 2020, the Township Council selected Keven Coombs to fill the Ward II seat expiring in December 2022 that became vacant when David Perry was chosen to serve as deputy mayor.[69] Earlier that month, Perry had been shifted to deputy mayor after Frank Sippel was selected as mayor to replaceErik K. Simonsen, who resigned to take office in theNew Jersey General Assembly.[70]
Cape May County is governed by a five-personBoard of County Commissioners whose members are electedat-large on a partisan basis to 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 held each January, the commissioners select one member to serve as director and another to serve as vice-director.[78] As of 2025[update], Cape May County's Commissioners are Director Leonard C. Desiderio (R,Sea Isle City, 2027),[79] Robert Barr (R,Ocean City; 2025),[80] Will Morey (R,Wildwood Crest; 2026),[81] Melanie Collette (R.Middle Township; 2026),[82] andVice-Director Andrew Bulakowski (R,Lower Township; 2025).[83][78][84]
The county's constitutional officers are Clerk Rita Marie Rothberg (R, 2025, Ocean City),[85][86] Sheriff Robert Nolan (R, 2026, Lower Township)[87][88] and Surrogate E. Marie Hayes (R, 2028, Ocean City).[89][90][91][84]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 14,612 registered voters in Lower Township, of which 3,000 (20.5%) were registered asDemocrats, 5,902 (40.4%) were registered asRepublicans and 5,702 (39.0%) were registered asUnaffiliated. There were 8 voters registered asLibertarians orGreens.[92]
United States Gubernatorial election results for Lower Township[93]
In the2012 presidential election, RepublicanMitt Romney received 52.6% of the vote (5,493 cast), ahead of DemocratBarack Obama with 46.2% (4,823 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (120 votes), among the 10,534 ballots cast by the township's 15,217 registered voters (98 ballots werespoiled), for a turnout of 69.2%.[94][95] In the2008 presidential election, RepublicanJohn McCain received 52.2% of the vote (5,831 cast), ahead of DemocratBarack Obama, who received 45.1% (5,040 votes), with 11,177 ballots cast among the township's 14,435 registered voters, for a turnout of 77.4%.[96] In the2004 presidential election, RepublicanGeorge W. Bush received 54.3% of the vote (5,951 ballots cast), outpolling DemocratJohn Kerry, who received around 44.1% (4,830 votes), with 10,961 ballots cast among the township's 14,709 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 74.5.[97]
In the2013 gubernatorial election, RepublicanChris Christie received 70.8% of the vote (4,909 cast), ahead of DemocratBarbara Buono with 27.6% (1,913 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (115 votes), among the 7,142 ballots cast by the township's 14,910 registered voters (205 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 47.9%.[104][105] In the2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 51.6% of the vote (3,712 ballots cast), ahead of both DemocratJon Corzine with 40.1% (2,882 votes) and IndependentChris Daggett with 6.0% (433 votes), with 7,190 ballots cast among the township's 14,989 registered voters, yielding a 48.0% turnout.[106]
United States Senate election results for Lower Township1[107]
Lower Township School District serves public-school students inpre-kindergarten throughsixth grade.[109] As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,519 students and 149.6 classroom teachers (on anFTE basis), for astudent–teacher ratio of 10.2:1.[110] Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from theNational Center for Education Statistics[111]) are David C. Douglass Veterans Memorial School[112] with 312 students in grades PreK-K (inVillas), Carl T. Mitnick School[113] with 440 students in grades 1-2 (inCold Spring), Maud T. Abrams School[114] with 355 students in grades 3-4 (in Cold Spring), and Charles W. Sandman Consolidated School[115] with 388 students in grades 5-6 (in Cold Spring).[116][117][118] The Lower Township School District participates in theInterdistrict Public School Choice Program, which allows non-resident students to attend the district's schools without cost to their parents, with tuition paid by the state. Seats in the program for non-resident students are specified by the district and are allocated by lottery.[119][120]
Forseventh throughtwelfth grades, public-school students attend the schools of theLower Cape May Regional School District, in theErma area of the township, which also serves students fromCape May City andWest Cape May, along with students fromCape May Point who attend the district as part of asending/receiving relationship.[121][122][123][124] Schools in the district (with 2022–23 enrollment data from theNational Center for Education Statistics[125]) areRichard M. Teitelman Middle School[126] with 433 students in grades 7-8 andLower Cape May Regional High School (LCMRHS)[127] with 757 students in grades 9–12.[128][129] In the 2011–12 school year, the city of Cape May paid $6 million in property taxes to cover the district's 120 high-school students, an average of $50,000 per student attending the Lower Cape May district. Cape May officials have argued that the district's funding formula based on assessed property values unfairly penalizes Cape May, which has higher property values and a smaller number of high-school students as a percentage of the population than the other constituent districts, especially Lower Township.[130] The district'sboard of education is comprisedof nine members, who are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year[131][132] Seats on the board are allocated based on population, with Lower Township assigned seven seats.[133]
Students are also eligible to attendCape May County Technical High School in Cape May Court House, which serves students from the entire county in its comprehensive and vocational programs, which are offered without charge to students who are county residents.[134][135] Special needs students may be referred toCape May County Special Services School District in Cape May Court House.
Wildwood Catholic Academy (Pre-K–12) inNorth Wildwood, of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Camden, is the nearest Catholic school. Villas had its own CatholicK–8 school, St. Raymond's School, until 2007, when it merged into Our Lady Star of the Sea School inCape May.[136] In 2010 Our Lady Star of the Sea merged into Cape Trinity Regional School (Pre-K–8) in North Wildwood.[137] That school in turn merged into Wildwood Catholic Academy in 2020.[138] As of 2020[update] Bishop McHugh Regional School inDennis Township takes students from Lower Township.[139]
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 179.10 miles (288.23 km) of roadways, of which 131.92 miles (212.30 km) were maintained by the municipality, 33.83 miles (54.44 km) by Cape May County and 6.87 miles (11.06 km) by theNew Jersey Department of Transportation and 6.48 miles (10.43 km) by theNew Jersey Turnpike Authority.[143]
^abcMayor and Council, Lower Township. Accessed August 23, 2023. "Lower Township adopted the Council-Manager form of government in 1984. The council is comprised of five council members (Mayor, Council Member-at-Large, and 3 Wards), each elected on partisan basis, serving the Township for a four-year term. Because the terms overlap, elections to council are held every two years."
^ab"Cape May County", fromHistoric Roadsides of New Jersey by The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New Jersey, 1928. Accessed October 27, 2019.
^Schaad Jr., Jacob"Bizarre History of Cape May: Lower Township's borders have been constantly changing", ShoreNewsToday, May 15, 2014. Accessed September 3, 2015. "Lower Township has long had an image problem, its name not helping. Middle Township and Upper Township have no problem because it's okay to be at the top or even in the middle, but how much lower can you get than lower?"
^Campbell, Braden."Middle Township Democrat Michael Clark wins seat, unofficially",The Press of Atlantic City, November 5, 2013. Accessed December 18, 2014. "In Lower Township, Republican Erik Simonsen won the open Ward 3 Council seat with 1,290 votes.... Simonsen will serve out the remainder of Douglass' one-year unexpired term. Douglass resigned from his seat in September after he found out he must in order to collect his state pension after retiring from the New Jersey Department of Corrections. His seat has been held by North Cape May resident Jackie Henderson since his resignation.... He joins Mayor Michael Beck, Norris Clark, Thomas Conrad and James Neville. All are Republicans save Beck, who is an independent."
^South, Christopher."Lower Township Council votes in Roland Roy Jr. as Ward 3 councilman",The Gazette of Cape May, January 25, 2017. Accessed January 11, 2018. "Lower Township Council appointed Roland Roy, Jr. to fill the vacant Ward 3 council seat at its Jan. 18 meeting. Roy will replace Mayor Erik Simonsen, who was elected mayor in November and took office at the reorganization meeting earlier this month. Roy was appointed by a unanimous vote of Township Council."
^Price, Carl."Coombs Sworn to Lower Township Council",Cape May County Herald, February 25, 2020. Accessed February 26, 2020. "Kevin Coombs, second from right, was sworn to Lower Township Council at the Feb. 19 meeting. The Lower Township Regular Republican Organization submitted three candidates to fill the seat of Second Ward Councilman David Perry until the election in November. Perry became deputy mayor after Mayor Frank Sippel became mayor when former Mayor Erik Simonsen was elected to state Assembly."
^Price, Carl."Perry Takes Oath as Lower's Deputy Mayor",Cape May County Herald, February 8, 2020. Accessed February 26, 2020. "Since Mayor Erik Simonsen vacated his position, after winning a seat on the State Assembly, there has been a shift on Lower Township Council. Deputy Mayor Frank Sippel became mayor, and Councilman David Perry became deputy mayor."
^abBoard of County Commissioners, Cape May County, New Jersey. Accessed April 28, 2022. "Cape May County Government is governed by a Board of County Commissioners. These individuals are elected at large by the citizens of Cape May County and hold spaced 3-year terms." Note that as of date accessed, Desiderio is listed with an incorrect term-end year of 2020.
^Lower Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Lower Township School District. Accessed August 4, 2022. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Pre-Kindergarten through six in the Lower Township School District. Composition: The Lower Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Lower Township."
^Lower Cape May Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Lower Cape May Regional School District. Accessed August 29, 2024. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades seven through twelve. Composition: The Lower Cape May Regional School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Cape May, Lower Township, and West Cape May."
^Johnson, Virgil; and Kirtland, James L."A Feasibility Study to Reconfigure the Lower Cape May Regional School District", Statistical Forecasting LLC, June 2013. Accessed August 29, 2024. "Cape May City is one of three constituent communities served by the Lower Cape May Regional School District ('Lower Cape May Regional'), a limited purpose school district providing education for the middle and high school students from Cape May City, Lower Township, and West Cape May.... Students from Cape May Point attend on a sending-receiving basis."
^Interdistrict Public School Choice, Lower Cape May Regional School District. Accessed August 29, 2024. "Lower Cape May Regional High School is a four year comprehensive public High School that serves students from Cape May, West Cape May, Lower Township, Cape May Point and now Choice School students."
^Linehan, Mary."Cape May makes new push to dissolve Lower Cape May Regional school district",The Gazette of Cape May, June 20, 2013. Accessed January 11, 2018. "The regional school district was formed in 1956 and now serves as a limited purpose regional school district educating students from Cape May, Cape May Point, West Cape May and Lower Township. Cape May Point students attend on a 'sending-receiving' basis."
^Fichter, Jack."Cape May Paying $50K Per Student to Regional School District",Cape May County Herald, January 4, 2012. Accessed March 21, 2018. "Cape May — Taxpayers here pay $50,000 per year for each student sent to the Lower Cape May Regional High School District, a total of $6 million per year.... Deputy Mayor Jack Wichterman said Cape May was paying $6 million to send 120 kids to the regional school district.... 'We have no say in the formula that's utilized to determine how much money we pay to that school district,' he said. 'There are several formulas that can be used and the one that the Lower Township members of that school board chose to use is the one that penalizes the City of Cape May because our real estate values are so much higher than they are in Lower Township.'"
^Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Lower Cape May Regional School District,New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2018. Accessed February 3, 2020. "The Lower Cape May Regional School District (District) is a Type II school district located in Cape May County, New Jersey and covers an area of approximately 34 square miles. As a Type II school district, it functions independently through a Board of Education. The Board is comprisedof 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 provide educational services for all of Lower Cape May Regional's students in grades 7 through 12."
^Board of Education, Lower Cape May Regional School District. Accessed February 11, 2020.
^Crowley, Terence J.A Response to the Cape May Study to Reconfigure the Lower Cape May Regional School District, Lower Cape May Regional School District, January 6, 2014. Accessed February 11, 2020. "The Lower Cape May Regional District (Regional) is classified as a Limited Purpose District.... It is a Type II district and apportions the Board of Education seats based upon the most recent United States Census. It has nine seats on the Board and that are apportioned as follows: Cape May City 1; West Cape May 1; Lower Township 7."
^Frequently Asked Questions,Cape May County Technical High School. Accessed October 27, 2019. "All residents of Cape May County are eligible to attend Cape May County Technical High School.... The Cape May County Technical High School is a public school so there is no cost to residents of Cape May County."
^"Catarcio, Maurice A.", Northeast Obits, May 13, 2005, backed up by theInternet Archive as of August 29, 2014. Accessed November 22, 2016. "He was Republican Leader in Lower Township for ten years."
^Caldwell, Dave."Two Sports, One Big Choice",The New York Times, December 16, 2010. Accessed September 11, 2016. "Szczur, a senior from Erma, N.J., gained attention late in the 2009 season after the National Marrow Donor Program determined that his bone marrow was a match for a 13-month-old girl with juvenile leukemia."
United States
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