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57-489: Pompton Lakes is a borough in Passaic County , in the U.S. state of New Jersey . As of the 2020 United States census , the borough's population was 11,127, an increase of 30 (+0.3%) from the 2010 census count of 11,097, which in turn reflected an increase of 457 (+4.3%) from the 10,640 counted in the 2000 census . Pompton Lakes was established on February 26, 1895, from portions of Pompton Township , based on

114-767: A DuPont munitions plant that had operated for decades in the area, and the impact on the health of nearby residents exposed to the pollutants. According to the United States Census Bureau , the borough had a total area of 3.16 square miles (8.19 km), including 2.89 square miles (7.48 km) of land and 0.27 square miles (0.71 km) of water (8.67%). The borough borders the municipalities of Bloomingdale , Wanaque and Wayne in Passaic County ; Oakland in Bergen County ; and Riverdale and Pequannock in Morris County . Much of

171-560: A sending/receiving relationship with the Riverdale School District . St. Mary's School was a Catholic school for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students that operated under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson . Opened in 1951, the school was closed at the end of the 2019–2020 school year in the wake of a ballooning fiscal deficit. WGHT , a daytime-only station,

228-492: A special charter ). The borough is the most common form of local government in New Jersey . In 2023 there were 253 boroughs in New Jersey. However, boroughs were not always so common. In 1875 only 17 boroughs had been created, all by special acts of the legislature. These original boroughs were subdivisions of townships, established by state charter; Elizabeth was the first, established by royal charter in 1740, within

285-628: A countywide basis are: Clerk Danielle Ireland-Imhof (D, Hawthorne , 2028), Acting Sheriff Gary Giardina (D, Wayne, 2024) and Surrogate Zoila S. Cassanova (D, Wayne, 2026). In 2004, the New Jersey Legislature passed the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Act , which regulates the New Jersey Highlands region. Pompton Lakes was included in the highlands preservation area and is subject to

342-636: A member of the prominent Schuyler family , owned a tavern in the town that became known as the Yellow Tavern or the Yellow Cottage, and the various army encampments in the area supplied much of the business. General George Washington and his army stayed in the Pompton area twice during the course of the war, and he visited the Yellow Tavern both times. He first visited on July 11, 1777, when he met with local ironmaster Robert Erskine at

399-803: A partisan basis, with two or three seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle. At a reorganization meeting held in January, the board selects a Director and Deputy Director from among its members to serve for a one-year term. As of 2024, Passaic County's Commissioners are: Bruce James ( D , Clifton , 2026), Deputy Director Cassandra "Sandi" Lazzara (D, Little Falls , 2024), Director John W. Bartlett (D, Wayne , 2024), Orlando Cruz (D, Paterson , 2026), Terry Duffy (D, West Milford , 2025), Nicolino Gallo ( R , Totowa , 2024) and Pasquale "Pat" Lepore (D, Woodland Park , 2025). Constitutional officers, elected on

456-460: A period, known as " boroughitis ", where large numbers of small boroughs were created. In 1894, the Legislature passed an act requiring each township to have a single school district. A wave of borough incorporations followed, as one part of several townships decided that it would prefer the cost of being a separate municipality to paying for the other schools. The Borough Act of 1897 amended

513-407: A population not exceeding 5,000, to establish itself as an independent borough through a petition and referendum process on a self-executing basis. As enacted, a borough would be governed by an elected mayor (serving a one-year term) and a six-member council (elected to staggered three-year terms). The mayor would preside at council meetings, but had no vote except to break ties. This system resulted in

570-409: A staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by Pompton Lakes is a " weak mayor / 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 ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of

627-512: A weak mayor and the council performs most legislative and executive functions. This form of local government is used by 39% of the municipalities in New Jersey. There are a total of 253 boroughs in New Jersey, which include: Pompton Township, New Jersey The township was originally formed on April 10, 1797, from portions of Saddle River Township and Franklin Township in Bergen County , and incorporated on February 21, 1798, as one of

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684-578: Is located in Pompton Lakes. Founded as WKER in 1964, the station ceased broadcasting on December 14, 2017 as ownership was transferred to the borough. The station resumed broadcasting in April 2019 and is temporarily simulcasting programming from WTBQ in Warwick , New York while local programs are being developed. The transmitting tower for William Paterson University 's WPSC-FM is also located in

741-625: Is located in the 9th congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 26th state legislative district. For the 118th United States Congress , New Jersey's 9th congressional district was represented by Bill Pascrell ( D , Paterson ) until his death in August 2024. New Jersey is represented in the United States Senate by Democrats Cory Booker ( Newark , term ends 2027) and George Helmy ( Mountain Lakes , term ends 2024). For

798-438: 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 includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on

855-443: The 2004 presidential election , Republican George W. Bush received 2,847 votes (53.9% vs. 42.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 2,330 votes (44.1% vs. 53.9%) and other candidates with 45 votes (0.9% vs. 0.7%), among the 5,283 ballots cast by the borough's 7,217 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.2% (vs. 69.3% in the whole county). In the 2013 gubernatorial election , Republican Chris Christie received 65.9% of

912-573: The 2024-2025 session , the 26th legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature is represented in the State Senate by Joseph Pennacchio ( R , Rockaway Township ) and in the General Assembly by Brian Bergen (R, Denville Township ) and Jay Webber (R, Morris Plains ). Passaic County is governed by Board of County Commissioners , composed of seven members who are elected at-large to staggered three-year terms office on

969-642: The borough was officially incorporated on February 26 of that year. The population of Pompton Lakes increased during the early 1900s, due to the rapid growth of local employers like the German Artistic Weaving Company and the Smith Powder Works. The latter company was purchased in 1905 by E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and formed the basis of the DuPont Pompton Lakes Works, which operated in

1026-574: The 15 counted in 2000. As of the 2000 United States census there were 10,640 people, 3,949 households, and 2,803 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,585.7 inhabitants per square mile (1,384.4/km). There were 4,024 housing units at an average density of 1,356.1 per square mile (523.6/km). The racial makeup of the borough was 93.01% White , 1.21% African American , 0.19% Native American , 3.03% Asian , 0.01% Pacific Islander , 1.57% from other races , and 0.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.74% of

1083-423: The 3,523 ballots cast by the borough's 7,298 registered voters, yielding a 48.3% turnout (vs. 42.7% in the county). The Pompton Lakes School District serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade . As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of four schools, had an enrollment of 1,755 students and 138.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.7:1. Schools in

1140-583: The County's Board of Chosen Freeholders . An outer-ring suburb of New York City , Pompton Lakes is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Midtown Manhattan . From the higher mountains in and around the borough one can see the New York skyline . Three rivers, the Ramapo , Pequannock and Wanaque , run through the borough, which historically provided much of the energy for various industries in

1197-641: The Pompton Lakes-Riverdale Youth Organization (PLRYO) runs football, lacrosse and cheerleading, and the Pompton Lakes-Riverdale Soccer Association (PLRSA) runs the soccer teams. The Pompton Lakes Recreation Department also runs an annual summer day camp at Hershfield Park, as well as special programs including art classes and karate lessons. Pompton Lakes is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government, which

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1254-478: The Township Committee to govern. Citizens of Haskell (now part of Wanaque) had begun to discuss the formation of their own borough and this prompted citizens in the other sections to follow their lead. A significant portion of the land was sparsely populated and the split off of one community would leave a larger tax burden on those that remained. A meeting was called for January 12, 1918, to discuss

1311-408: The average family size was 3.24. In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males. The median income for a household in the borough

1368-611: The borough he held boxing exhibitions at the camp to raise $ 2,600 for the purchase of an ambulance and an additional $ 2,000 to help build a police communications tower. The camp closed in the 1950s. In 1938, Reaction Motors successfully designed and perfected the world's first regenerative cooling rocket at a basement laboratory in a building in downtown Pompton Lakes. The technology they invented made liquid-fueled rockets capable of burning for long enough periods to be practical, and all future liquid-fueled rockets would build off this technology. The company tested this rocket at Lake Inez in

1425-584: The borough sits in a valley formed by the confluence of the Ramapo , Pequannock , and Wanaque rivers, which leads to common flooding events, the most recent of which was in 2011 . A few taller hills ring the valley, including Federal Hill, which is notable as the site of the Pompton Mutiny , a revolt of Continental Army troops that occurred there on January 20, 1781, under the command of Colonel Israel Shreve . The 2010 United States census counted 11,097 people, 4,190 households, and 2,933 families in

1482-404: The borough until 1994. In 1923, Joseph "Doc" Bier opened a " health farm " in Pompton Lakes, where boxers such as Pancho Villa and Jimmy McLarnin trained. In 1935, Joe Louis began training at the camp, and continued to use the camp until his retirement in 1949. He prepared for his famed bout with Max Schmeling there, and often invited local children to watch him practice. During his time in

1539-467: The borough's 2010 Census population, 66.3% (vs. 53.2% in Passaic County) were registered to vote, including 85.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 70.8% countywide). In the 2012 presidential election , Republican Mitt Romney received 49.6% of the vote (2,418 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 49.1% (2,396 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (63 votes), among the 4,923 ballots cast by

1596-449: The borough's 7,536 registered voters (46 ballots were spoiled ), for a turnout of 65.3%. In the 2008 presidential election , Republican John McCain received 2,803 votes (50.6% vs. 37.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,567 votes (46.3% vs. 58.8%) and other candidates with 53 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 5,541 ballots cast by the borough's 7,587 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.0% (vs. 70.4% in Passaic County). In

1653-512: The borough, not far from the laboratory it was built in. Decades-old industrial pollution and its connection to cancer and other illness among residents in a section of the borough was the subject of a week-long front-page investigative series in The Record newspaper in February 2018. The four-part series documented ground and water pollution that has impacted hundreds of homes surrounding

1710-405: The borough. The Borough of Pompton Lakes runs Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram Accounts, which is managed by Public Information Officer Michael Carelli. The borough also runs a town informational channel named PLTV77, airing on Optimum cable channel 77. As of May 2010, the borough had a total of 33.49 miles (53.90 km) of roadways, of which 26.51 miles (42.66 km) were maintained by

1767-418: The borough. In the mid-20th century, Pompton Lakes served as a local shopping destination, but lost its status as shopping malls opened in the area in the 1970s and 1980s. Dutch settlers began to settle in the area that is now Pompton Lakes in the 1680s, purchasing farmland from the local Lenape Native Americans . The presence of iron ore and the availability of hydropower were initial catalysts for

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1824-467: The borough. The population density was 3,809.1 per square mile (1,470.7/km). There were 4,341 housing units at an average density of 1,490.1 per square mile (575.3/km). The racial makeup was 87.93% (9,758) White , 1.41% (157) Black or African American , 0.11% (12) Native American , 5.39% (598) Asian , 0.02% (2) Pacific Islander , 3.37% (374) from other races , and 1.77% (196) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.89% (1,209) of

1881-462: The century of the Borough's existence as a form of government. The 1987 Act allowed for the delegation of executive responsibility to an appointed administrator. Traditionally, voters elect a mayor and six council members at-large in a partisan election. Only two boroughs, Roselle and Roselle Park , have ward structures with councils having five ward members and one at-large. The borough system has

1938-586: 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. As of 2023, the mayor of Pompton Lakes is Republican Michael A. Serra, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Borough Council are William D. Baig (R, 2025), Robert Cruz (R, 2024), Erik I. DeLine (R, 2024), Maria Kent (R, 2023), Jennifer Polidori (R, 2025) and Ekamon "Ek" Venin (R, 2023). In July 2018, Jennifer Polidori

1995-416: The disbursement of cash in the township treasury to the three boroughs and pay off remaining debt owed to the county. Based on data from the 2010 United States Census , the combined population of the five municipalities that were formed from Pompton Township—Bloomingdale (7,656), Pompton Lakes (11,097), Ringwood (12,228), Wanaque (11,116) and West Milford (25,850) -- was 67,947, which would have made Pompton

2052-466: The district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Lenox School with 352 students in grades K–5, Lincoln School with 331 students in grades Pre-K–5, Lakeside Middle School with 384 students in grades 6–8 and Pompton Lakes High School with 679 students in grades 9–12. Students from Riverdale (in Morris County ) attend the high school as part of

2109-726: The early development of the Pompton area. An ironworks was constructed in the early 1700s on the Ramapo River at the site of the current Pompton Lake dam, which produced munitions for the French and Indian War , the Revolutionary War , and the War of 1812 . Pompton was situated along the main north–south route during the Revolutionary War , and as such the Continental Army passed through often. Casparus Schuyler,

2166-561: The municipality, 6.52 miles (10.49 km) by Passaic County and 0.46 miles (0.74 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation . Major roads through Pompton Lakes include I-287 and Paterson-Hamburg Turnpike . Borough (New Jersey) A borough (also spelled boro ), in the context of local government in the U.S. state of New Jersey , refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government (in addition to those established under

2223-581: The northernmost area of Pompton Lakes, and the park's Cannonball Trail begins in the borough. There are also six municipal parks: Hershfield Park, Stiles Park, Gallo-Pacifico Park, Lakeside Park, Rotary Park, and John Murrin Park. The Joe Louis Memorial features a granite monument dedicated to the boxer who lived and trained in the borough for a time. Pompton Lakes and Riverdale share their youth sports teams. The Pompton Lakes-Riverdale Little League (PLRLL) runs youth tee-ball, baseball and softball leagues, while

2280-444: The now defunct Elizabeth Township. About half of them had been dissolved, or changed into other forms of government—often cities. In 1875, a constitutional amendment prohibited such local or special legislation. Bergen County is home to the highest number of boroughs of any New Jersey county, at 56. The Borough Act of 1878 allowed any township (or portion thereof) with a land area of no more than four square miles (10 km ) and

2337-491: The original Act, eliminating the self-executing incorporation feature of the earlier legislation. Henceforth, newly incorporated boroughs (or those seeking to dissolve or increase or decrease in size) required approval of the legislature. The elected mayor and six-member council were retained, with the mayor now serving a two-year term. The Borough Act of 1987 was created to streamline borough law and clear away amendments, changes, and contradictory rules that had accumulated over

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2394-431: The population were under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 29.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.2 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.9 males. The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income

2451-416: The population. Of the 4,190 households, 31.6% had children under the age of 18; 56.0% were married couples living together; 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present and 30.0% were non-families. Of all households, 24.7% were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.20. 22.2% of

2508-409: The population. There were 3,949 households, out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.8% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and

2565-569: The pros and cons of splitting the township. From that, a committee representing the various sections was formed and eventually three boroughs were agreed on, the boundaries established and finances settled (share of debt, distribution of assets). In addition, the township school district was similarly divided into the separate districts for each borough. The vote to split was approved in all three sections in February. The final Township Committee meeting took place on May 14, 1918, in Midvale to finalize

2622-469: The results of a referendum held three days earlier. The borough was named for the Pompton people , a sub-tribe of Native Americans who lived in the area. It was the first borough to be formed in Passaic County as part of the " boroughitis " that had struck the state at the time. Pompton Lakes did not acquire territory from more than one township , which would have entitled the borough to a seat on

2679-656: The rules of the act and the Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council , a division of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection . None of the territory in the protected region is classified as being in the highlands preservation area, and so is not subject to the additional rules that would entail. As of March 2011, there were a total of 7,357 registered voters in Pompton Lakes, of which 1,726 (23.5% vs. 31.0% countywide) were registered as Democrats , 2,006 (27.3% vs. 18.7%) were registered as Republicans and 3,623 (49.2% vs. 50.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated . There were 2 voters registered to other parties. Among

2736-400: The state's initial group of 104 townships . On March 10, 1834, West Milford was created from portions of the township. When Passaic County, New Jersey was established on February 7, 1837, it included Pompton Township. The borough of Pompton Lakes, New Jersey was formed on February 26, 1895, during the peak of the " Boroughitis " phenomenon, as the second municipality to split from

2793-537: The tavern. François-Jean de Chastellux , a major general in the French Expeditionary Force led by General Rochambeau , visited the Yellow Tavern on his way from Philadelphia to New England in December 1780, and remarked on his experience there in an account published later. Washington returned to the tavern on March 30, 1782, as he traveled north with his wife Martha . During this time, it

2850-407: The township. The township was divided on February 23, 1918, into three boroughs : Bloomingdale , Ringwood and Wanaque , with the remaining portion passing to Pompton Lakes. This ended the existence of the township. According to news accounts at the time of the split, local leaders from the various communities felt that the population growth within the township was a hindrance to the ability of

2907-544: The vote (1,968 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 33.0% (985 votes), and other candidates with 1.1% (34 votes), among the 3,030 ballots cast by the borough's 7,657 registered voters (43 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 39.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election , Republican Chris Christie received 1,848 votes (52.5% vs. 43.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,389 votes (39.4% vs. 50.8%), Independent Chris Daggett with 196 votes (5.6% vs. 3.8%) and other candidates with 45 votes (1.3% vs. 0.9%), among

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2964-475: Was $ 65,648, and the median income for a family was $ 74,701. Males had a median income of $ 46,776 versus $ 38,221 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $ 26,802. About 1.6% of families and 3.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over. The 1997 comedy In & Out , starring Kevin Kline , Tom Selleck and Joan Cusack ,

3021-480: Was $ 88,352 (with a margin of error of +/− $ 7,890) and the median family income was $ 97,074 (+/− $ 10,183). Males had a median income of $ 61,426 (+/− $ 7,225) versus $ 50,203 (+/− $ 4,456) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $ 35,872 (+/− $ 3,011). About 2.0% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line , including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over. Same-sex couples headed 29 households in 2010, almost double

3078-527: Was linked to the town via the Pompton Feeder, which barges used to supply coal to blast furnaces . Despite this, Pompton remained predominantly rural through the 19th century, and various summer resorts around Pompton Lake served vacationing New Yorkers . The New York, Susquehanna and Western Railroad opened a local train station in the late 1870s, driving further development in the town. In 1895, Pompton Lakes voted to split from Pompton Township, and

3135-560: Was partially filmed at Pompton Lakes High School . The 2014 independent short film Simpler Times, written and directed by Pompton Lakes native Steve Monarque and starring Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara , was filmed in downtown Pompton Lakes. The 2023 documentary film Flipside, directed and co-written by Chris Wilcha, was partially based upon, and filmed at, the eponymous record store in downtown Pompton Lakes. The southern portion of Ramapo Mountain State Forest lies within

3192-481: Was selected from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that had been held by Christian Baranco until he resigned from office earlier that month as he was moving out of the borough; Polidori served on an interim basis until the November 2018 general election, when voters selected a candidate to serve the balance of the term. Pompton Lakes

3249-599: Was serving as the winter headquarters of Colonel Phillip Van Cortlandt . The tavern was torn down around 1900 to widen the adjacent road, and the site is noted by a historical marker. Pompton Township was formed shortly after the Revolution, in 1797. During the Civil War , knives, saws, nails, and springs for railroad cars were manufactured at the Pompton Ironworks. The Morris Canal , completed in 1832,

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