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Harrison, New Jersey

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Harrison is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 14,424.

Contents

Geography

Harrison is located at [40°44′45″N, 74°9′18″W] (40.745951, -74.155096)[Geographic references#1GR1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.4 km² (1.3 mi²). 3.2 km² (1.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (6.82%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 14,424 people, 5,136 households, and 3,636 families residing in the town. The population density was 4,564.9/km² (11,811.1/mi²). There were 5,254 housing units at an average density of 1,662.8/km² (4,302.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 66.10% White, 0.98% African American, 0.40% Native American, 11.89% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 15.96% from other races, and 4.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 36.97% of the population.

There were 5,136 households out of which 33.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 13.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.27.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.5% under the age of 18, 10.6% from 18 to 24, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 104.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $41,350, and the median income for a family was $48,489. Males had a median income of $33,069 versus $26,858 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,490. About 10.1% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Local government

The city is presently governed under the Faulkner Act (Mayor-Council) system of municipal government.

The Town of Harrison is divided into four electoral wards, with each ward then being divided into three districts, for a total of 12 electoral districts.

Each ward is represented by two council members, with a total of eight councilmembers on the Town Council. The head of the government is the Mayor. The Mayor presides over the town council meetings, which are usually the first Tuesday of the month, in Council Chambers, which is located on the second floor of the Town Hall at 318 Harrison Avenue.

The current Mayor and Councilmen are:

Mayor Raymond J. McDonough, (Mayor since January, 1995; Councilmember from 1977-1995) (up for re-election in November, 2006)

Members of the Harrison Town Council are:

2006 Elections

Primary Elections were held on June 6, 2006. Candidates listed were running for the Democratic Party nomination for their respective offices. Results of the Primary Election were:[McDonough wins; Nov. indie slate], Jersey Journal, June 7, 2006

The General Election will take place on November 7, 2006. Candidates running in this race are:

On June 12, 2006, Hudson County Clerk Javier Inclán dropped Millan from the November ballot, after he determined that the candidate and his wife, who had signed Millan's petition, had previously signed a petition supporting Michael Hinchcliffe in his unsuccessful mayoral bid in Harrison's recent Democratic primary. Millan plans to contest the ruling[Three candidates knocked off November ballots by county clerk], Jersey Journal, June 14, 2006. In his ruling on July 11, 2006, The Honorable Carmen Messano stated that "the objections raised by County Clerk Javier Inclan and Mayor Raymond McDonough were flawed and that the laws were written 'to allow the greatest scope for public participation in the electoral process, to allow candidates to get on the ballot, to allow parties to put their candidates on the ballot, and most importantly to allow the voters a choice on Election Day.'" Therefore, Millan will be included on the November General Election ballot.[Millan back on Nov. ballot], Kearny Journal, July 13, 2006. 


Federal, State and County Representation

Harrison is in the Thirteenth Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 32nd Legislative District.


New Jersey's Thirteenth Congressional District, covering portions of Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, and Union Counties, is now Vacant. The seat had been represented by Robert Menendez (D), who was appointed to the United States Senate to fill the seat vacated by Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine. New Jersey is represented in the Senate by Frank Lautenberg (D, Cliffside Park) and Robert Menendez (D, Union City).


The 32nd legislative district of the New Jersey Legislature  is represented in the State Senate by Nicholas Sacco (D, North Bergen) and in the Assembly by Vincent Prieto (D, Secaucus) and Joan M. Quigley (D, Jersey City). The Governor of New Jersey is Jon Corzine (D, Hoboken).


Hudson County's County Executive is Thomas A. DeGise. The executive, together with the Board of Chosen Freeholders in a legislative role, administer all county business. Hudson County's nine Freeholders (as of 2006) are: District 1: Doreen McAndrew DiDomenico; District 2: William O'Dea; District 3: Jeffrey Dublin; District 4: Eliu Rivera; District 5: Maurice Fitzgibbons; District 6: Tilo Rivas; District 7: Silverio Vega; District 8: Thomas Liggio; and District 9: Albert Cifelli.



Education

The Harrison Public Schools is comprised of three schools. Schools in the district (with 2003-04 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics) are [Lincoln Elementary School] (which houses 872 students in grades Pre-K to 5), [Washington Middle School] (which houses 362 students in grades 6 to 8) and Harrison High School (which houses 719 students in grades 9 to 12).


The Harrison Public School District is participating in the Inter District Public School Choice Program. For the 2005-06 school year parents can request to transfer a child from the Washington School, designated by the State of New Jersey as a Category I School, to another school which is not a Category I School. Since there is only one elementary school in Harrison, you can request a transfer to the Hoboken Public Schools under the Choice program. A transfer request will depend upon the capacity of the selected Hoboken school. [Inter District Public School Choice Program], accessed May 23, 2006



Transportation

The Harrison station on the PATH regional rail system offers service to Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken and New York City. Formerly it was a stop on the Pennsylvania Railroad but this has been discontinued due to the ease of picking up trains in Newark at Penn Station or Broad Street Station. It is also served by bus by several local bus companies and New Jersey Transit.


By car, Harrison depends on Interstate 280 which runs through the city. Westward, I-280 leads to Route 21 and the Garden State Parkway. Eastward, it leads to Route 7 and the New Jersey Turnpike.



Redevelopment

Portions of Harrison are currently undergoing redevelopment under an ambitious redevelopment plan adopted by the Harrison Redevelopment Agency. The former site of the John F. Kennedy Stadium (where the local high school and recreation teams played) is being transformed into a gated townhouse community. A new hotel opened on the Harrison waterfront across from Newark on the Passaic River. The new Hampton Inn and Suites Harrison / Newark Riverwalk Hotel opened on December 31, 2004 and has over 200 rooms. The area from the PATH train station south to the Harrison / Newark border has been designated a "redevelopment zone" and plans are now underway to transform that area of town from abandoned factories into a vibrant community of high-rise office complexes, street level retail, and condominiums. About 7,000 housing units will be added to Harrison under the current plans. In 2008, Red Bull Park will be the new home of the Major League Soccer team, Red Bull New York. Fans of the Red Bulls will be able to access the stadium by riding the PATH, and by using I-280. The stadium is located inside the redevelopment zone.



Noted residents

Famous residents of the town include Daisy Fuentes (former MTV VJ) and Ray Lucas (former NFL quarterback).



Trivia



References





External links





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