Bellmawr is home to the main
post office for the area, one of the largest in the state of New Jersey, handling an average of 4.5 million pieces of mail daily.[24]
History
Bellmawr was authorized to incorporate as a borough on March 23, 1926, from portions of the now-defunct
Centre Township, and was made independent based on the results of a referendum held on April 21, 1926. The boroughs of
Mount Ephraim,
Runnemede and
Lawnside were also created in the same two-day period.[25] The borough was named for Ernest C. Bell, who owned a farm in the area.[26][27]
In 1966, the Bellmawr Police Department investigated several officers for
ticket fixing. The officers were ordered to cooperate with internal investigators and give statements and told that they would be fired if they refused to do so; upon answering the investigators' questions, the officers were criminally charged. In 1967, the
Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the officers' self-incriminating statements violated the
Fifth Amendment and
Fourteenth Amendment, and that it was therefore unconstitutional to use their statements in a prosecution; the officers' convictions were overturned. The case, Garrity v. New Jersey, led to the creation of the
Garrity warning, which advises government employees of their rights during internal investigations.[28]
In late October 2001, the Bellmawr post office was closed due to possible
anthrax contamination in the wake of the
2001 anthrax attacks. The office was re-opened several days later, in early November, after testing negative for anthrax.[29]
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 3.11 square miles (8.05 km2), including 2.98 square miles (7.73 km2) of land and 0.12 square miles (0.32 km2) of water (3.92%).[2][3]
Of the 4,670 households, 26.3% had children under the age of 18; 47.5% were married couples living together; 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present and 34.3% were non-families. Of all households, 29.4% were made up of individuals and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.06.[21]
20.3% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.9 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 93.8 males.[21]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010
American Community Survey showed that (in 2010
inflation-adjusted dollars)
median household income was $56,182 (with a margin of error of ± $3,809) and the median family income was $66,947 (± $3,353). Males had a median income of $47,251 (± $3,082) versus $39,932 (± $4,677) for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $25,961 (± $1,460). About 7.3% of families and 9.9% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 19.9% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.[39]
2000 census
As of the
2000 United States census[17] there were 11,262 people, 4,446 households, and 3,134 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,715.5 inhabitants per square mile (1,434.6/km2). There were 4,561 housing units at an average density of 1,504.7 per square mile (581.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 92.79%
White, 1.18%
African American, 0.06%
Native American, 3.05%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander, 1.54% from
other races, and 1.36% from two or more races.
Hispanic or
Latino of any race were 3.50% of the population.[37][38]
There were 4,446 households, out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were
married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.5% were non-families. 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.02.[37][38]
In the borough the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.[37][38]
The median income for a household in the borough was $44,653, and the median income for a family was $53,839. Males had a median income of $38,646 versus $27,050 for females. The
per capita income for the borough was $19,863. About 2.6% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.[37][38]
Government
Local government
Bellmawr is governed under the
borough 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.[40] The governing body is comprised of a
mayor and a six-member borough council, with all positions elected
at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A 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 a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.[7] The borough form of government used by Bellmawr 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 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.[41][42]
As of 2024[update], the mayor of the Borough of Bellmawr is
Democrat Charles J. "Chuck" Sauter III, whose term of office ends December 31, 2026.[43] The members of the Bellmawr Borough Council are Raymond Bider (D, 2025), James P. "Jamie" Casey (D, 2025), James F. D'Angelo (D, 2026), Bill Evans (D, 2024; elected to fill an unexpired term), Johann Fina (D, 2026) and Craig R. Wilhelm (D, 2024).[4][44][45][46][47]
In December 2021, the borough council selected Bill Evans to fill the seat expiring in December 2024 that had been held by Steven Hagerty until he resigned from office.[48] In November 2022, Evans was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.[46]
In January 2016, Ray Bider was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that became vacant following the resignation the previous month of Joshua Tregear,[49] who was appointed to serve as Borough Administrator.[50]
In October 2015, David Spector was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that had been held by David M. Duncan until his death the previous month.[51]
In November 2012, the council selected Joshua Tregear, from among a list of three candidates recommended by the Camden County Democratic Committee, to fill the vacant seat of Regina Piontkowski, who had resigned two months earlier after serving nearly 20 years in office.[52]
Federal, state and county representation
Bellmawr is located in the 1st Congressional District[53] and is part of New Jersey's 5th state legislative district.[54][55][56]
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.[63] As of 2024[update], Camden County's Commissioners are:
Commissioner Director Louis Cappelli Jr. (
D,
Collingswood, 2026),[64]
Commissioner Deputy Director Edward T. McDonnell (D,
Pennsauken Township, 2025),[65]
Virginia Ruiz Betteridge (D,
Runnemede, 2025),[66]
Almar Dyer (D, Pennsauken Township, 2024),[67]
Melinda Kane (D,
Cherry Hill, 2024),[68]
Jeffrey L. Nash (D,
Winslow Township, 2024),[69] and
Jonathan L. Young Sr. (D,
Berlin Township, 2026).[70][63][71][72][73]
As of March 2011, there were a total of 7,368 registered voters in Bellmawr, of which 3,416 (46.4% vs. 31.7% countywide) were registered as
Democrats, 839 (11.4% vs. 21.1%) were registered as
Republicans and 3,110 (42.2% vs. 47.1%) were registered as
Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as
Libertarians or
Greens.[81] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 63.6% (vs. 57.1% in Camden County) were registered to vote, including 79.9% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 73.7% countywide).[81][82]
In the
2012 presidential election, Democrat
Barack Obama received 3,064 votes (61.5% vs. 54.8% countywide), ahead of Republican
Mitt Romney with 1,788 votes (35.9% vs. 43.5%) and other candidates with 63 votes (1.3% vs. 0.9%), among the 4,983 ballots cast by the borough's 7,875 registered voters, for a turnout of 63.3% (vs. 70.4% in Camden County).[83][84] In the
2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 3,124 votes (59.2% vs. 66.2% countywide), ahead of Republican
John McCain with 1,985 votes (37.6% vs. 30.7%) and other candidates with 62 votes (1.2% vs. 1.1%), among the 5,275 ballots cast by the borough's 7,654 registered voters, for a turnout of 68.9% (vs. 71.4% in Camden County).[85] In the
2004 presidential election, Democrat
John Kerry received 3,277 votes (60.8% vs. 61.7% countywide), ahead of Republican
George W. Bush with 2,034 votes (37.7% vs. 36.4%) and other candidates with 36 votes (0.7% vs. 0.8%), among the 5,389 ballots cast by the borough's 7,307 registered voters, for a turnout of 73.8% (vs. 71.3% in the whole county).[86]
In the
2013 gubernatorial election, Republican
Chris Christie received 63.0% of the vote (1,678 cast), ahead of Democrat
Barbara Buono with 35.3% (939 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (45 votes), among the 2,759 ballots cast by the borough's 7,921 registered voters (97 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 34.8%.[87][88] In the
2009 gubernatorial election, Democrat
Jon Corzine received 1,422 ballots cast (46.4% vs. 53.8% countywide), ahead of Republican Chris Christie with 1,348 votes (44.0% vs. 38.5%), Independent
Chris Daggett with 170 votes (5.5% vs. 4.5%) and other candidates with 57 votes (1.9% vs. 1.1%), among the 3,066 ballots cast by the borough's 7,349 registered voters, yielding a 41.7% turnout (vs. 40.8% in the county).[89]
Education
The
Bellmawr School District serves public school students from
pre-kindergarten through
eighth grade.[90] As of the 2019–20 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,225 students and 99.5 classroom teachers (on an
FTE basis), for a
student–teacher ratio of 12.3:1.[91] Schools in the district (with 2019–20 enrollment data from the
National Center for Education Statistics[92]) are
Bellmawr Park Elementary School[93] with 476 students in grades Pre-K–4,
Ethel M. Burke Elementary School[94] with 248 students in grades K–4 and
Bell Oaks Upper Elementary School[95] with 484 students in grades 5–8.[96][97][98]
Students from Bellmawr, 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
Gloucester Township Technical High School in the
Sicklerville section of Gloucester Township or
Pennsauken Technical High School in
Pennsauken Township. Students are accepted based on district admission standards and costs of attendance and transportation are covered by the home district of each student.[104]
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Regional School in
Barrington was formed in September 2008 through a merger of Bellmawr's Annunciation Regional School and Barrington's St. Francis de Sales Regional School. With an enrollment of about 150 students, the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden announced in June 2009 that the newly combined school would be closed.[105]
Transportation
Roads and highways
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 45.98 miles (74.00 km) of roadways, of which 34.87 miles (56.12 km) were maintained by the municipality, 5.62 miles (9.04 km) by Camden County, 4.57 miles (7.35 km) by the
New Jersey Department of Transportation and 0.92 miles (1.48 km) by the
New Jersey Turnpike Authority.[106]
The
New Jersey Turnpike is the most prominent highway passing through Bellmawr.[107] It crosses the southern part of the borough, and part of interchange 3 is located within Bellmawr. Both the interchange and the toll gate (which features six lanes at the gate) runs along the border with Runnemede.[108] Bellmawr also hosts the interchange between the "North-South Freeway" (
Route 42[109] /
Interstate 76[110]) and
Interstate 295.[111][112] Additional significant roads that pass through Bellmawr include
Route 168[113] and a very small portion of
U.S. Route 130. The only major county road that passes through Bellmawr is
County Route 551 Spur in the western part of the borough.[114][115]
Mary Jane Barker (born 1953), 4-year-old girl who went missing along with her playmate's dog. Despite the initial suspicion of foul play, the death was ruled an accident; a case of starvation and exposure as Barker was unable to escape the closet.[119]
^Melisurgo, Len.
"Here's the right way to pronounce 25 N.J. town names everyone botches", NJ Advance Media for
NJ.com, June 23, 2017. Accessed June 22, 2023. "Does it sound like Belmar, the beachfront town in Monmouth County? Or is the correct way to say this place BELL-more? The locals say BELL-mar, just like the Shore town."
^Bruner, Bethany.
"City issues order to force Columbus police officers to give evidence in protest probe", The Columbus Dispatch, March 25, 2021. Accessed March 25, 2022. "The protections are named Garrity rights after Edward Garrity, police chief of Bellmawr Township, New Jersey, who along with five other employees was told they must answer questions in a 1961 state attorney general's investigation into whether they were involved in fixing traffic tickets in Bellmawr and Barrington Township or lose their jobs. Their statements were later used to prosecute and convict them. The U.S. Supreme Court overturned their convictions in 1967, ruling in Garrity v. New Jersey that the statements of Garrity and the other employees, made under threat of termination, were unconstitutional because they were compelled by the state in violation of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments."
^Guion, Payton.
"Marijuana legalization would force tough choice for N.J. towns", NJ Advance Media for
NJ.com, November 15, 2017. Accessed November 15, 2017. "NJ Advance Media reached out to mayors in all five towns that have medical dispensaries: Bellmawr, Cranbury, Egg Harbor, Montclair and Woodbridge."
^"Bill Evans sworn in as Bellmawr Councilman.", South Jersey Observer, December 20, 2021. Accessed May 10, 2022. "Today, Bellmawr Mayor Chuck Sauter administered the oath of office to Bill Evans as Councilman. Evans replaced Steve Hagerty who recently resigned his council seat due to personal circumstances."
^Forline, Anne.
"Councilman Josh Tregear Appointed Bellmawr Administrator by a Vote of 3-2", South Jersey Observer, February 6, 2016. Accessed June 23, 2016. "During its Reorganization meeting on January 4, Bellmawr Council voted 3-2 in favor of appointing former councilman, Josh Tregear, as the new Borough Administrator."
^Rep. Donald W. NorcrossArchived 2016-08-05 at the
Wayback Machine, Capitalwords, September 9, 2013. Accessed June 23, 2016. "Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer my sincere condolences and honor the memory of Bellmawr, New Jersey, Councilman David Duncan for his exemplary life of service to the Bellmawr community."
^Concanon, Chris.
"Bellmawr Swears In New Councilman Joshua Tregear", Gloucester City News, November 14, 2012. Accessed December 29, 2013. "Following a postponed ceremony, Bellmawr Mayor and Council welcomed Joshua Tregear as their newest Councilman at an informal November 1st swearing-in.... Mr. Tregear assumes the seat vacated by the retiring Regina Piontkowski, who had resigned from Council September 30 for health and other reasons."
^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.."
^Bellmawr Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification,
Bellmawr School District. Accessed March 19, 2020. "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 eight in the Bellmawr School District. Composition: The Bellmawr School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Bellmawr."
^Superintendent of Schools, Bellmawr Public School District. Accessed January 17, 2020. "The Borough is about 3 square miles and the school district is comprising three schools. Ethel M. Burke Elementary is on the eastern side of the Borough and houses grades K-4 for residents in its vicinity. Bellmawr Park Elementary is on the western side of the Borough and houses grades K-4 for residents in its vicinity; it also houses the Early Childhood Center, which serves three and four year old students for the entire Borough. Bell Oaks Middle is centrally located and houses grades 5-8 for all residents of Bellmawr."
^Triton Regional High School 2015 Report Card Narrative,
New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed March 19, 2020. "Triton Regional is a community based high school and we value the support of our parents, community members and local businesses. Our students and staff are ambassadors of Runnemede, Bellmawr, and Gloucester Township and carry that honor with Mustang pride."
^District Home: Registration Info tab, Black Horse Pike Regional School District. Accessed June 3, 2016. "What school will you be attending? All Bellmawr and Runnemede residents attend Triton Regional High School. Gloucester Township residents Click Here to view the District Map."
^Sullivan, Joseph F.
"Walter Rand, 75, New Jersey Senator And Transit Expert", The New York Times, January 7, 1995. Accessed December 27, 2013. "State Senator Walter Rand, a specialist on transportation issues during his 20 years in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature, died today at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center here. A resident of Bellmawr, a Camden suburb, he was 75."
^"Retired Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr. Inducted to Rutgers' Board of Governors", Rutgers Today, February 18, 2010. Accessed December 29, 2013. "Joseph J. Roberts Jr., retired speaker of the state General Assembly, was inducted as a public member of the Board of Governors of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, at today's board meeting.... Roberts has been a Bellmawr councilman and a member of the board of education."