Berlin was incorporated as a township on April 11, 1910, from portions of Waterford Township. Portions of the township were taken on March 29, 1927, to form Berlin Borough, based on the results of a referendum held on April 26, 1927.[21] The township was named for the city of Berlin, Germany.[22]
After a majority of residents supported the change, the township voted to assign all Berlin Township residents the common ZIP code of 08091 for West Berlin starting in February 1995, ending a system in which some township residents had been served by post offices in Atco and Berlin.[23]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 3.35 square miles (8.67 km2), including 3.34 square miles (8.66 km2) of land and 0.01 square miles (0.02 km2) of water (0.18%).[1][2]
The township is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering 1,100,000 acres (450,000 ha), that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve.[28] Part of the borough is included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Camden County, along with areas in Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties.[29]
Of the 1,975 households, 28.6% had children under the age of 18; 50.3% were married couples living together; 12.7% had a female householder with no husband present and 31.0% were non-families. Of all households, 25.1% were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.25.[18]
22.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 99.2 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 97.4 males.[18]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $61,029 (with a margin of error of +/− $8,347) and the median family income was $70,777 (+/− $6,678). Males had a median income of $50,286 (+/− $4,262) versus $41,250 (+/− $8,550) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $26,184 (+/− $2,541). About 4.6% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 1.3% of those age 65 or over.[37]
As of the 2000 United States census[15] there were 5,290 people, 1,893 households, and 1,368 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,628.9 inhabitants per square mile (628.9/km2). There were 2,009 housing units at an average density of 618.6 per square mile (238.8/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 82.46% White, 11.87% African American, 0.17% Native American, 2.70% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 1.21% from other races, and 1.51% from two or more races. HispanicorLatino of any race were 4.80% of the population.[35][36]
There were 1,893 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.7% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.28.[35][36]
In the township the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males.[35][36]
The median income for a household in the township was $54,448, and the median income for a family was $61,042. Males had a median income of $37,240 versus $28,703 for females. The per capita income for the township was $22,178. About 4.8% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.[35][36]
In 1973, Berlin Township changed its form of government from the Township form to a Faulkner ActSmall Municipality form, and now operates under plan 3 of the Small Municipality form, as implemented on January 1, 1988, by direct petition.[38] The township is one of 18 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government, which is available only to municipalities with fewer than 12,000 residents at the time of adoption.[39] The governing body is comprised of four Council members and the Mayor, all elected at-large. The mayor serves a four-year term of office and the councilmembers serve a three-year term, with two council seats coming up for election each year for two years and no council seats up for vote in the third year of the cycle. The candidates run in partisan elections at regular primary and are elected at the November general election. Independent candidates, having declared their intentions at primary time, run only in the general election.[6][40][41]
This type of government is a strong mayor form in which the Mayor, as chief executive, is responsible for all administrative functions. The Mayor presides at Council meetings, voting and participating as a member of Council. The Mayor appoints, with Council's approval, the following: Tax Assessor, Tax Collector, Clerk, Treasurer, Zoning Officer, Construction Official, Court Administrator, Attorney and Engineer. The Mayor is responsible for the budget; enforcing the charter (State law) and all ordinances (local laws), and the preparation of an annual report for the Council and residents. The Council has legislative and policy-making power. It elects a Council President annually to preside in the Mayor's absence. The Mayor appoints Council members to serve as liaisons to the Recreation Committee, Finance Committee, Athletic Association, Public Works, Special Events, School Board, Public Safety and Senior Citizens. The Mayor and one council member are members of the Planning and Zoning Board.[42]
As of 2024[update], the Mayor of Berlin Township is Democrat Phyllis A. Jeffries Magazzu, whose term of office ends December 31, 2025. Members of the Township Council are Council President Marion Bodanza (D, 2025), Frank Epifanio (D, 2024), Francis McHenry (D, 2025) and Mark Reid (D, 2024).[3][43][44][45][46]
In February 2022, the Township Council selected Francis McHenry from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Christopher Morris until he resigned from office earlier that month.[47]
In November 2019, Samuel D. Sykes was elected to fill a vacant seat on the Township Council expiring In December 2021. that had been held by Jerome McIntosh until his death in July 2019.[48][49]
Camden County is governed by a Board of County Commissioners composed of seven members chosen at-large in partisan elections for three-year terms on a staggered basis by the residents of the county, with either two or three seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. At a reorganization meeting held in January after each election, the newly constituted Board of Commissioners selects one member to serve as Director and another as Deputy Director, each serving a one-year term in that role.[60] As of 2024[update], Camden County's Commissioners are:
Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. (D, Collingswood, 2026),[61]
Commissioner Deputy Director Edward T. McDonnell (D, Pennsauken Township, 2025),[62]
Virginia Ruiz Betteridge (D, Runnemede, 2025),[63]
Almar Dyer (D, Pennsauken Township, 2024),[64]
Melinda Kane (D, Cherry Hill, 2024),[65]
Jeffrey L. Nash (D, Winslow Township, 2024),[66] and
Jonathan L. Young Sr. (D, Berlin Township, 2026).[67][60][68][69][70]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 3,449 registered voters in Berlin Township, of which 1,552 (45.0% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 370 (10.7% vs. 21.1%) were registered as Republicans and 1,524 (44.2% vs. 47.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as LibertariansorGreens.[78] Among the township's 2010 Census population, 64.4% (vs. 57.1% in Camden County) were registered to vote, including 82.9% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).[78][79]
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,502 votes (63.9% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 814 votes (34.6% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 19 votes (0.8% vs. 0.9%), among the 2,351 ballots cast by the township's 3,686 registered voters, for a turnout of 63.8% (vs. 70.4% in Camden County).[80][81] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,519 votes (62.4% vs. 66.2% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 829 votes (34.1% vs. 30.7%) and other candidates with 32 votes (1.3% vs. 1.1%), among the 2,434 ballots cast by the township's 3,478 registered voters, for a turnout of 70.0% (vs. 71.4% in Camden County).[82] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 1,305 votes (56.6% vs. 61.7% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 876 votes (38.0% vs. 36.4%) and other candidates with 23 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 2,304 ballots cast by the township's 3,123 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.8% (vs. 71.3% in the whole county).[83]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 60.0% of the vote (848 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 39.2% (554 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (12 votes), among the 1,515 ballots cast by the township's 3,752 registered voters (101 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 40.4%.[84][85] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat Jon Corzine received 857 ballots cast (51.0% vs. 53.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 650 votes (38.7% vs. 38.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 73 votes (4.3% vs. 4.5%) and other candidates with 29 votes (1.7% vs. 1.1%), among the 1,681 ballots cast by the township's 3,428 registered voters, yielding a 49.0% turnout (vs. 40.8% in the county).[86]
The Berlin Township Public Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 609 students and 55.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.1:1.[87] Schools in the district (with 2020–2021 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[88]) are
John F. Kennedy Elementary School[89] with 279 students in Pre-K through 3rd grade and
Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School[90] with 325 students in grades 4–8.[91][92] The Huster Building, formerly used as a kindergarten and now used for administration, is named after Robert R. Huster, a Berlin Township resident who was killed in action on April 8, 1967, during the Vietnam War.[93]
Students from Berlin Township, and from all of Camden County, are eligible to attend the Camden County Technical Schools, a countywide public school district that serves the vocational and technical education needs of students at the high school and post-secondary level at the Gloucester Township Campus in the Sicklerville section of Gloucester Township or the Pennsauken CampusinPennsauken Township. Students are accepted based on district admission standards and costs of attendance and transportation are covered by the home district of each student.[97]
As of May 2010[update], the township had a total of 36.12 miles (58.13 km) of roadways, of which 27.40 miles (44.10 km) were maintained by the municipality, 6.51 miles (10.48 km) by Camden County and 2.21 miles (3.56 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[98]
^Weis, Lillian. "Ordinance to deliver a single zip code to residents of Berlin Twp.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 15, 1995. Accessed September 19, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The key change will come Feb. 1, when all township residents will have a single zip code and their mail delivered through one post office, known as West Berlin 08091. West Berlin, Atco and Berlin Borough's post offices service the area. But over the years, there was some confusion among residents in Atco and Berlin Borough zip codes over which police or fire department serves them. During the summer, a majority of residents responding to a U.S. Postal Service survey voted in favor of having one zip code and one post office serve Berlin Township."
^Township Code Article II: Governing Body, Berlin Township. Accessed December 12, 2014. "§ 3-11 Composition. The governing body of the Township of Berlin shall be composed of the Mayor and four members of Council. § 3-12 Term of Mayor. The term of the Mayor of the Township shall be set at four years, beginning with the election of November 2005. § 3-13 Term of Council members. Each Council member shall continue to be elected for a term of three years."
^Township Council Meeting Minutes for February 14, 2022, Township of Berlin. Accessed May 24, 2022. "Letter of Resignation from Council President Christopher Morris. As required by N.J.S.A.40A:16-5 that the appropriate political party of the member vacancy will nominate three candidates to the governing body. As such the Democratic Committee of Berlin Township has conferred and is hereby submitting the following names for consideration by the Governing Body to replace Council President Christopher Morris. 1-Jeanne Rodriguez 2- Lou DeMarco 3- Frank McHenry. Motion by Mayor Magazzu second by Councilwoman Bodanza to appoint Frank McHenry as Councilman for the Township of Berlin."
^Obituary of Jerome McIntosh, Covington Funeral Home. Accessed March 19, 2020. "He was later appointed by the Mayor to the Berlin Township Council in 2003. This was followed by his first elected position in 2004, where he remained until his passing."
^Full Biography, Congressman Donald Norcross. Accessed January 3, 2019. "Donald and his wife Andrea live in Camden City and are the proud parents of three grown children and grandparents of two."
^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.."
^School Choice programArchived 2014-12-15 at the Wayback Machine, Pine Hill Schools. Accessed December 12, 2014. "Pine Hill School District is composed of four schools which include Dr. Albert Bean Elementary School, John Glenn Elementary School, Pine Hill Middle School, and Overbrook High School. Students from both Clementon and Berlin Township School Districts join those residing in Pine Hill to attend Overbrook High School."
^Stenzler, Jon. "A Big Body, A Bigger Heart. Ron Dayne; Teddy Bear", The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 13, 1999. Accessed December 30, 2013. "Dayne, who grew up in Berlin Township and carried the football for Overbrook Regional Senior High School in Pine Hill and for the University of Wisconsin, is known for a bruising running style."