Boroughitis

Boroughitis
Boroughitis was a political phenomenon in the American state of New Jersey in the 1890s, particularly in Bergen County. Attempts by the New Jersey Legislature to reform local government and the school systems led to the formation of dozens of low-population boroughs. In the late 19th century, much of New Jersey was divided into large townships, in which there might be several small communities, each with a local school that formed its own district. Political disputes arose between the growing number of commuters, who wanted more government services, and farmers, who feared higher taxes. In 1894, the legislature passed an act allowing boroughs that were formed from parts of two or more townships to elect a representative to the county Board of Chosen Freeholders. This law, in combination with a second one the same year that consolidated the school districts into one per township, made it easy and attractive for dissatisfied communities to break away and become boroughs. Forty new boroughs were formed in 1894 and 1895, with the bulk in Bergen County, where townships were broken up or greatly reduced in size; few townships remain in the county today.