Charles K. Landis was a land developer who was the driving force behind the creation of Hammonton and Vineland. Landis also had a hand in establishing other small communities, including Landisville, in Buena Borough. He planned to make it county seat of a new county called Landis County, which would incorporate land from the surrounding counties. However, the locals were against this, and began calling him "King Landis".[26]
In 1979, local resident Madeline Barrale authored a 115-page book illustrating the borough's history. Buena Borough celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1999 with the 1st Annual "Buena Day" at Bruno Melini Park. In 2002, the St. Padre Pio Shrine was erected by Italian-American farmers in the Landisville section of Buena and has attracted what was described by The New York Times as a "steady stream of Catholics" who come to pray at the site.[29]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 7.57 square miles (19.62 km2), including 7.57 square miles (19.61 km2) of land and <0.01 square miles (<0.01 km2) of water (0.01%).[1][2]
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Landisville and Minotola, each of which had postal facilities established with those names in 1871 and 1897, respectively.[30][31]
The borough is one of 56 South Jersey municipalities that are included within the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve, a protected natural area of unique ecology covering 1,100,000 acres (450,000 ha), that has been classified as a United States Biosphere Reserve and established by Congress in 1978 as the nation's first National Reserve.[35] Part of the borough is included in the state-designated Pinelands Area, which includes portions of Atlantic County, along with areas in Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Ocean counties.[36]
Unexpected Road was named the seventh wackiest street name according to a 2006 poll by Car Connection website.[37]
Of the 1,723 households, 30.7% had children under the age of 18; 43.6% were married couples living together; 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 32.7% were non-families. Of all households, 27.5% were made up of individuals and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.23.[23]
24.9% of the population were under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 25.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 88.3 males.[23]
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $53,060 (with a margin of error of +/− $14,830) and the median family income was $60,398 (+/− $6,199). Males had a median income of $47,439 (+/− $6,193) versus $35,700 (+/− $8,353) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $23,044 (+/− $2,700). About 8.2% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.6% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.[42]
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census[15] there were 3,873 people, 1,454 households, and 978 families residing in the borough. The population density was 509.1 inhabitants per square mile (196.6/km2). There were 1,553 housing units at an average density of 204.1 per square mile (78.8/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 77.28% White, 7.64% African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 10.53% from other races, and 3.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 23.65% of the population.[40][41]
As of the 2000 Census, 33.5% of Buena residents were of Italian ancestry, the 22nd-highest percentage of any municipality in the United States and ninth-highest in New Jersey, among all places with more than 1,000 residents identifying their ancestry.[43]
There were 1,454 households, out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% 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 3.23.[40][41]
In the borough the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 19.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.[40][41]
The median income for a household in the borough was $35,679, and the median income for a family was $44,352. Males had a median income of $37,985 versus $23,788 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $16,717. About 11.8% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.[40][41]
Government
Local government
Buena Borough 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.[44] The governing body is comprised of a mayor and a 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.[4] The borough form of government used by Buena 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.[45][46]
{As of 2024[update]the mayor of Buena Borough is Republican Joseph Baruffi, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Buena Borough Council are Council President Douglas Adams (R, 2025), Jorge A. Alvarez (R, 2026), Patricia A. Andaloro (R, 2024), Marina Barsuglia (R, 2025), Frank DeStefano (R, 2026) and Richard Giovinazzi (R, 2024; elected to serve an unexpired term).[47][48][49][50][51][52]
Gina Andaloro had switched parties from Democrat to Republican and in January 2023 resigned from her seat expiring in December 2024. The council appointed Republican Richard Giovinazzi to fill her seat, but the council undid the "inadvertent appointment" after realizing that the position should be filled from the same party that elected the individual who resigned.[53][54] After the council refused to appoint any of the three Democrats nominated, the Democratic municipal committee in March 2023 named Ernest Merighi to fill the vacant seat.[55]
In May 2021, Republican Councilmember Aldo S. Palmieri submitted his resignation from his seat expiring in December 2023, but the council did not accept the resignation until January 2022 at which time it was accepted retroactive to May.[56][57] In November 222, Joseph Fabrizio was elected to serve the balance of the term.[51]
In July 2019, Joseph D'Alessandro was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that had been held by Jeffrey Marolda until his resignation from office the precious month.[58]
In October 2016, Jorge Alvarez become Buena's first Hispanic councilmember when he was chosen from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2017 that had been held by Robert L. James Jr. until his resignation.[59]
In February 2016, the borough council selected Matthew Walker Sr. from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2016 that had been held by Edward Cugini until his resignation; Walker became the first African-American to serve on the borough council.[60]
In 2018, the Buena Borough Police Department was disbanded. The borough entered into a shared service agreement with the Franklin Township Police Department, whose Chief of Police is Brian Zimmer. With the dissolution of Buena's police force, the borough's officers were being given an opportunity for consideration to be hired by Franklin Township.[61]
Federal, state and county representation
Buena is located in the 2nd Congressional District[62] and is part of New Jersey's 4th state legislative district.[63]
Atlantic County is governed by a directly elected county executive and a nine-member Board of County Commissioners, responsible for legislation. The executive serves a four-year term and the commissioners are elected to staggered three-year terms, of which four are elected from the county on an at-large basis and five of the commissioners represent equally populated districts.[68][69] As of 2025[update], Atlantic County's Executive is Dennis Levinson (R, Northfield), whose term of office ends December 31, 2027.[70] Members of the Board of County Commissioners are:
Atlantic County's constitutional officers are:
Clerk Joesph J. Giralo (R, 2026, Hammonton),[81][82]
Sheriff Joe O'Donoghue (R, 2026, Egg Harbor Township)[83][84] and
Surrogate James Curcio (R, 2025, Hammonton).[85][86][87]
Politics
As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 2,771 registered voters in Buena, of which 593 (21.4% vs. 30.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 764 (27.6% vs. 25.2%) were registered as Republicans and 1,414 (51.0% vs. 44.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were no voters registered to other parties.[88] Among the borough's 2010 Census population, 60.2% (vs. 58.8% in Atlantic County) were registered to vote, including 80.2% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 76.6% countywide).[88][89]
In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,011 votes (53.2% vs. 57.9% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 847 votes (44.6% vs. 41.1%) and other candidates with 18 votes (0.9% vs. 0.9%), among the 1,899 ballots cast by the borough's 2,919 registered voters, for a turnout of 65.1% (vs. 65.8% in Atlantic County).[90][91] In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 1,048 votes (53.0% vs. 56.5% countywide), ahead of Republican John McCain with 877 votes (44.3% vs. 41.6%) and other candidates with 31 votes (1.6% vs. 1.1%), among the 1,979 ballots cast by the borough's 2,932 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.5% (vs. 68.1% in Atlantic County).[92] In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 927 votes (49.7% vs. 52.0% countywide), ahead of Republican George W. Bush with 894 votes (47.9% vs. 46.2%) and other candidates with 14 votes (0.7% vs. 0.8%), among the 1,867 ballots cast by the borough's 2,749 registered voters, for a turnout of 67.9% (vs. 69.8% in the whole county).[93]
In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 707 votes (66.0% vs. 60.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 326 votes (30.4% vs. 34.9%) and other candidates with 10 votes (0.9% vs. 1.3%), among the 1,072 ballots cast by the borough's 2,977 registered voters, yielding a 36.0% turnout (vs. 41.5% in the county).[100][101] In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 692 votes (50.4% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 547 votes (39.8% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 56 votes (4.1% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 29 votes (2.1% vs. 1.2%), among the 1,373 ballots cast by the borough's 2,819 registered voters, yielding a 48.7% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).[102]
As of the 2020–21 school year, the district, comprised of five schools, had an enrollment of 1,691 students and 150.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.3:1.[106] Schools in the district (with 2020–21 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics[107]) are
Collings Lakes Elementary School[108] with 197 students in grades K-2,
John C. Milanesi Elementary School[109] with 259 students in grades PreK-2,
Dr. J.P. Cleary Elementary School[110] with 309 students in grades 3–5,
Buena Regional Middle School[111] with 336 students in grades 6-8 and
Buena Regional High School[112] with 535 students in grades 9–12.[113][114][115][116]
Edgarton Christian Academy is a non-denominational Christian K–8 school established in 2012. As of 2020[update] it leases a 29,000-square-foot (2,700 m2) space in Newfield in Gloucester County, though it has plans to move to Buena. When the 76-student The Ellison School in Vineland closed in December 2019, 25 of them moved to Edgarton. The school is building a 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) permanent building on a 15-acre (6.1 ha) property in Buena.[119]
Notre Dame Regional School of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Camden had one of its two campuses in Landisville, with the other in Newfield. The school closed in 2012.[120] It had 270 students at the time of closure.[119] That year remnants of the school formed the non-Catholic Edgarton Christian Academy.[121] 263 of the former Notre Dame students moved to Edgarton.[119]
Transportation
U.S. Route 40 and County Route 557 in Buena
As of May 2010[update], the borough had a total of 39.28 miles (63.22 km) of roadways, of which 24.69 miles (39.73 km) were maintained by the municipality, 11.62 miles (18.70 km) by Atlantic County and 2.97 miles (4.78 km) by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.[122]
^Capuzzo, Jill P. "Driving Mower, Bus or Car, 9-Year-Old Has Town Jumpy", The New York Times, July 25, 2003. Accessed July 1, 2011. "Here in Buena (pronounced BYOO-na), a typical day for the nine-member police force used to mean responding to a few traffic violations, a complaint about someone trying to pass a bad check or some disturbances at the local bar."
^Staff. "Answer Guy", The Press of Atlantic City, November 30, 2008. Accessed July 1, 2011. "My husband and I moved to New Jersey from North Carolina a few years ago. I assumed that Buena was pronounced 'bwayna,' but we learned that people here pronounce it 'byoona.' Why is that?"
^Coyne, Kevin. "At a Shrine, Inspiration and Memories", The New York Times, September 16, 2006. Accessed July 21, 2011. "Since it opened four years ago, the St. Padre Pio Shrine has drawn a steady stream of Catholics who stop to pray before a six-foot bronze statue of a mystical, wildly popular Capuchin friar who was treated skeptically at first by the church, then ultimately made a saint."
^Wildstein, David. "Buena council seat still empty after choice to fill vacancy declines to serve", New Jersey Globe, February 28, 2023. "Gina Andaloro, who was elected as a Democrat in 2021 and switched parties last year, resigned on January 13. Two weeks later, the council appointed Republican Richard Giovinazzi to replace her, and he took office immediately. But Democrats objected, pointing to a statute that allows the party that won the seat in the last election the chance to fill a vacancy."
^Regular Council Meeting Minutes for February 13, 2023, Borough of Buena. Accessed June 5, 2023. "WHEREAS, as the inadvertent appointment of Richard Giovinazzi was contrary to N.J.S.A. 40A:16-11, the seat left vacant by Gina Andaloro remains vacant from the date of her resignation. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the Borough of Buena that Resolution 37-23 be and is hereby void ab initio to January 23, 2023"
^Regular Council Meeting Minutes for March 13, 2023, Borough of Buean. Accessed June 5, 2023."WHEREAS, the Borough Council finds that it is not willing to appoint one of the two remaining names, leaving such appointment to the democratic municipal committee. WHEREAS, the municipal committee of the democratic party has appointed Ernest Merighi as the successor to fill the vacancy."
^Doyle, Christopher. "After seven months, Buena Borough Council accepts councilman's resignation", The Press of Atlantic City, January 7, 2022. Accessed April 18, 2022. "The Borough Council voted unanimously to accept the resignation of former Councilman Aldo Palmieri Thursday night at the 2022 borough reorganization meeting, which was held remotely via conference call. The resignation will be retroactive to May 10, 2021, when Palmieri first publicly announced his intention to leave office. The delay in accepting Palmieri’s resignation has fueled months of controversy in the borough, leading to prolonged disputes over when the former councilman resigned and how the borough ought to fill the vacancy."
^Reorganization Meeting Minutes for January 6, 2022, Borough of Buena. Accessed April 18, 2022. "Councilwoman Pat Andaloro made the motion to accept the resignation of Aldo Palmieri retroactive from the May 10, 2021 meeting."
^Meeting Minutes for July 8, 2019, Borough of Buena. Accessed September 24, 2019. "Whereas, Councilman Jeffrey Marolda resigned his council seat effective June 24, 2019, and; Whereas, the term of Councilman Jeffrey Marolda expires on December 31, 2019... Now Therefore, Be It Resolved by the Mayor and Borough Council of the Borough of Buena, County of Atlantic, State of New Jersey that Joseph A. D’Alessandro, III is appointed to fill the unexpired Council term of Jeffrey Marolda."
^Smith, Joseph P. "Alvarez appointed to vacant Buena Borough Council seat", The Daily Journal, October 12, 2016. Accessed May 18, 2017. "The Borough Council has quickly filled a vacancy created with the recent unexpected resignation of Councilman Robert L. James. The council voted at its regular meeting on Tuesday night to accept the nomination of Jorge Alvarez to replace James. The Melini Avenue resident is the first Hispanic to join the all-Republican council."
^Smith, Joseph P. "Buena makes historic pick for council", The Daily Journal, February 9, 2016. Accessed June 14, 2016. "The Borough Council chose school board member Matthew Walker Sr. on Monday night to join the six-seat governing body as a replacement for the recently retired Councilman Edward Cugini Sr."
^Smith, Joseph P. "Buena picks Franklin Township for police coverage", The Daily Journal, June 28, 2017. Accessed March 20, 2018. "The Borough Council voted 4-1 Wednesday afternoon to hire Franklin Township instead of the city of Vineland to assume responsibility for providing police services here.... The council decision means the end is in sight for the borough police force, which will be dissolved. Franklin will give borough officers hiring preference for current openings in its department but not a guarantee of employment."
^Buena Regional Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Buena Regional School District. Accessed February 29, 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 twelve in the Buena Regional School District. Composition: The Buena Regional School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Buena Vista Township and Buena Borough. The Buena Regional School District has a receiving school relationship with Estell Manor City and Weymouth Township."
^Buena Regional School District 2016 Report Card NarrativeArchived August 11, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 29, 2020. "Buena Regional School District is a comprehensive, regional public school district. The District’s three elementary and middle school serve students from Buena Vista Township and Buena Borough. The District’s high school serves students from Buena Vista Township and Buena Borough, along with students from the neighboring municipalities of Estell Manor and Weymouth Township through a sending/receiving relationship."
^About, Buena Regional School District. Accessed December 15, 2022. "The district is comprised of three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school. Students from Weymouth and Estell Manor join students from Buena Vista Township, Buena Borough."
^Frequently Asked Questions Archived April 24, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, Atlantic County Institute of Technology. Accessed May 17, 2017. "What does it cost to attend ACIT? As a public school, there is no cost to Atlantic County residents of high school age. New Jersey Title 18A:54-20.1 entitles students the right to choose ACIT for their high school education."
^Cook Jr, Jim. "Camden Diocese closing Sacred Heart High School, St. Mary Magdalen, Notre Dame elementary schools", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, January 20, 2012. Accessed April 18, 2022, "The Camden Diocese and the Office of Catholic Schools announced today that they are closing three area schools. Sacred Heart High School in Vineland and St. Mary Magdalen Elementary School in Millville, as well as Notre Dame School in the Landisville-Newfield area, will be closing at the end of the academic year, according to a letter from Rev. Joseph Galante, bishop of Camden, to the parents of the students who attend the three schools."
^Stellar, Eliot; and Lindzey, Gardner. "Clifford T. Morgan: 1915-1976", The American Journal of Psychology, Vol. 91, No. 2 (Jun., 1978), pp. 343-348. Accessed April 18, 2023. "Clifford T. Morgan, professor of psychology at the University of Texas, died in Austin, Texas, on February 12, 1976. He was born in Minolta [sic], New Jersey, on July 21, 1915."
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