Should Lakewood Merge With Surrounding Towns Into 1-Large City?
“The City Of Lakewood” Our neighborhoods—Lakewood, Jackson, Brick, Toms River and Manchester, NJ—each possess unique strengths and vibrant communities. By uniting into one city, we can unlock incredible benefits for everyone
“The City Of Lakewood”
Ocean County, NJ – Imagine a thriving, united city built on collaboration, shared values, and endless opportunities. Our neighborhoods—Lakewood, Jackson, Brick, Toms River and Manchester, New Jersey—each possess unique strengths and vibrant communities. By uniting into one large city, we can unlock incredible benefits for everyone.
Here’s what residents stand to gain:
1. Lower Taxes: A unified city can reduce administrative costs, leading to more efficient government spending and potential tax savings for residents.
2. Better Public Services: Pooling resources means better schools, expanded recreational facilities, improved libraries, and enhanced safety services, like police and fire departments.
3. Upgraded Infrastructure: With a larger combined budget, we can improve roads, modernize public transportation, and upgrade utilities, making daily life easier and more convenient.
4. Business Growth and Jobs: A bigger city can attract larger businesses, leading to increased job opportunities and a stronger local economy while supporting local entrepreneurs.
5. Private School Benefits: With unified planning and increased resources, private schools can benefit from better infrastructure, expanded busing services, and improved safety measures. This means more accessible and efficient education for families across the city.
6. Community Events and Programs: A larger city can sponsor bigger, more frequent cultural events, sports leagues, and youth programs, fostering a stronger sense of community.
7. Improved Representation: As a single, larger city, we’ll have a stronger voice in state and federal government, ensuring our needs are better represented and addressed.
8. Shared Identity and Pride: Rather than being seen as separate towns, we can build a shared identity that celebrates our diverse cultures and creates a unified, proud community working toward common goals.
Let’s come together to create a city where families, businesses, and communities can grow and thrive. Join us in taking this bold step toward a brighter future—sign this petition support the unification of Lakewood, Manchester, Jackson, Toms River, and Brick!
Update: FrumNews has been informed by elected officials that Howell, NJ, is not considered to be included in this proposal—since Howell is part of Monmouth County while Lakewood/Jackson/Brick/Toms River/Manchester and nearby neighborhoods are all part of Ocean County, NJ. It’s simpler with less bureaucracy to merge townships which are already located in the same county into a city—than a town that’s under a different jurisdiction and county like Howell.
13 Comments
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01/15/2025 | ט"ו טבת התשפ"ה
I think this is a great proposal. BUT this isn’t just about Lakewood, it’s about all the towns in Ocean County getting “City status” the townships will stay mostly the same, the only difference would be more involvement from a state and federal level to better each location. Better roads, infrastructure, Lighting, public transportation. Snow removal.
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01/15/2025 | ט"ו טבת התשפ"ה
If this is done smartly, while keeping the character of each township the same. Every township in the region will gain by much lower taxes. Jackson, Brick, Howell, Toms River, Manchester if the elected officials running those towns do this transformation smartly, the towns will have LOTS to gain with tens of millions of dollars in state and federal funding lowering taxes, and nothing to loose. I understand people’s concerns, but if this is done smartly everyone wins in lower taxes while the neighborhoods stay the same. This is an opportunity to benefit not just Lakewood, but most of Ocean County.
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01/14/2025 | י"ד טבת התשפ"ה
Dear Lakewood, I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to express my concern about the proposed idea to turn Lakewood Township into a city and merge it with other surrounding NJ towns. While the intention may be to promote economic growth, enhance services, and increase governance efficiency, I believe this change could have a range of negative consequences that would outweigh any potential benefits. First and foremost, the cultural and historical identity of our township is something that many residents hold dear. The sense of community in our township, built over many years, would likely be diluted by such a significant reorganization. Merging with surrounding New Jersey towns could lead to a loss of local traditions, making it more difficult for residents to feel connected to their home. Additionally, the financial implications of this change should be carefully considered. Becoming a city often means increased administrative costs, more complex bureaucracy, and possibly higher taxes. Smaller, rural townships like ours may struggle to support the added infrastructure and services required for a city status. This could lead to a greater financial burden on taxpayers without necessarily translating into better services or improved quality of life for residents. Another issue is the potential for diminished local control. Townships typically offer a higher degree of local involvement and representation, but transitioning to a city could result in governance decisions being made at a broader level, potentially sidelining the voices of our residents. Larger city governments often face challenges in maintaining close ties with all neighborhoods and communities, which could leave some voices unheard. Moreover, the merging of townships and surrounding cities might not yield the expected benefits in terms of economic development. Urban centers tend to attract investments that are not always equitable or reflective of the needs of smaller or more rural communities.
As a township, we may find that our specific needs and interests are overlooked in favor of urban priorities. Finally, the logistical and operational challenges of merging multiple cities cannot be underestimated. The integration of resources, personnel, and infrastructure could cause disruptions in services during the transition, potentially leading to delays or service interruptions in areas such as public safety, education, and utilities. In conclusion, while I understand the motivation behind this proposal, I firmly believe that turning our township into a city and merging it with surrounding areas could have adverse effects on our community’s identity, finances, and governance. I urge you to carefully consider the long-term consequences and explore other avenues that preserve the uniqueness and needs of our township, while still fostering growth and collaboration with neighboring areas. Thank you for your time and consideration of my concerns. I am happy to discuss this issue further and provide any additional input if needed.
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forum Reply to Att. Lakewood 01/17/2025 | י"ז טבת התשפ"ה
Very well put
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forum Reply to Att. Lakewood 01/15/2025 | ט"ו טבת התשפ"ה
Well said.
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01/14/2025 | י"ד טבת התשפ"ה
Absolutely not
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01/14/2025 | י"ד טבת התשפ"ה
Absolute no from me.
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01/14/2025 | י"ד טבת התשפ"ה
Absolutely not! No, no, no.
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01/14/2025 | י"ד טבת התשפ"ה
People don’t realize that there are hundreds (if not in the thousands) of middle-sized towns across America that are completely run down, with outdated infrastructure and a declining environment with residents slowly moving away and nearly abandoned.
Thank G-D here in New Jersey we have thriving communities in Lakewood and nearby towns. But just because we are thriving doesn’t mean we can’t do better. Simply put, the Government takes care of city’s financially, they don’t take care of towns (even thriving towns)
We have smart elected officials and dedicated township representatives that would know how to “accept the perks of being a city while keeping the local township beauty” of Lakewood, Jackson, Toms River, Howell, Manchester, Brick and other nearby areas. Let’s lower our taxes for ALL homeowners from all communities and let’s make Lakewood (and the surrounding neighborhoods) great again! Sign the petition.
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01/14/2025 | י"ד טבת התשפ"ה
There’s so much good to Lakewood, merging with other townships into a city will make all neighborhoods flourish more. City’s gets tens of millions of $$$ in state and federal funding, something townships don’t receive. This will lower the cost for Yeshiva tuition for everyone and as well have the state and federal government add much needed funding to the public school system instead of extra taxes on Ocean County residents. It’s a win, win situation!
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01/13/2025 | י"ג טבת התשפ"ה
Not sure if it’ would benefit Lkwd or hurt Lkwd but one things for sure the powers that run the town would never agree as it means their power would be diminished =less $$$$$$$ and no one’s giving that up so it’s all talk
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01/13/2025 | י"ג טבת התשפ"ה
Sounds good, but I doubt a merger would result in lower taxes.
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01/13/2025 | י"ג טבת התשפ"ה
Haha no
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