Bethlehem Township, Northampton County, Pennsylvania

Township officials As a Township of the First Class under Pennsylvania law, Bethlehem Township has a five-member Board of Commissioners and a Treasurer. In accordance with the PA First Class Township Code, the Bethlehem Township Board of Commissioners is charged with the general governance of the Township. The Board serves as the legislative body of the township, setting policy, enacting ordinances and resolutions, adopting budgets and levying taxes.

The duties of the Treasurer include, among other responsibilities, the task of collecting certain real estate taxes. The Township Manager is appointed by the Commissioners.

The current elected officials are:

Board of Commissioners:

• Tom Nolan, 1st Ward
• Mike Hudak, 2nd Ward
• John Gallagher, 3rd Ward
• John Merhottein, 4th Ward
• Malissa Davis, At-Large

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 14.7 square miles (38 km²), of which, 14.6 square miles (38 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km²) of it (0.61%) is water. It is drained by the Lehigh River, which separates it from Lower Saucon Township. Its villages include Brodhead, Butztown, Farmersville, Middletown, Prospect Park (also in Palmer Township,) and Wagnerville. Its major roads include east-to-west Highway 22, William Penn Highway, and Freemansburg Road and north-to-south Highway 33, Route 191, Butztown Road/Hecktown Road, Farmersville Road, and Main Street Extension.

The ancient Lenni Lenape or Delaware First Nation peoples lived in the Lehigh River valley. The Lehigh River and its Monocacy Creek and Nancy Run tributaries, provided fertile soil and ample fishing opportunities for the area's inhabitants before the arrival of William Penn, newly named "Proprietor" of the Province of Pennsylvania in 1681.

In 1737, Penn's family negotiated a land purchase from the Lenape, known today as the "Walking Purchase". From this agreement, settlement began by Europeans newly arrived in pre-Revolutionary War Pennsylvania.

The municipality of Bethlehem Township was formed in 1746 as a part of Bucks County.[3] The name of Bethlehem itself originated from the German Moravian Brethren on Christmas Eve in 1741.[4] The township, as originally defined, contained the current township as well as the townships of Upper Nazareth and Lower Nazareth.[5] As shown on a page from the 1874 "Atlas of Northampton County", Upper and Lower Nazareth Townships had been created, but the then-borough of Bethlehem had not yet annexed the areas of Altona and parcels along Center Street (Bath Pike), Linden Street (Nazareth Pike), and Easton Avenue.[6]

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 21,171 people, 7,619 households, and 5,889 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,451.7 people per square mile (560.6/km²). There were 7,831 housing units at an average density of 537.0/sq mi (207.4/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 93.27% White, 2.44% African American, 0.07% Native American, 2.20% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.14% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.97% of the population.

There were 7,619 households, out of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.7% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.09.

In the township the population was spread out, with 25.1% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.5 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $60,317, and the median income for a family was $68,427. Males had a median income of $47,363 versus $32,136 for females. The per capita income for the township was $25,141. About 2.2% of families and 2.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

The township is served by the Bethlehem Area School District, which consists of sixteen elementary schools, four middle schools, and two high schools.[9] The high schools have a considerable enrollment size, Freedom High School has 1,750 currently while Liberty High School is at 3,000[10] as of the 2014–2015 school year. Notre Dame High School, Moravian Academy, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help schools make up the parochial schools.

There are currently 35 full-time sworn officers who serve and protect the community of over 20,000 residents.[14] Police personnel earned 15 of the township's top 20 salaries in 2006 with the highest-paid officer grossing nearly $78,000, according to figures released by the township in 2007.[15]

Bethlehem Township is served by two volunteer fire departments, Bethlehem Township and Nancy Run Fire Companies. Bethlehem Township Volunteer Fire Company Station 17, houses two Engines, one Heavy Rescue, two Utility Vehicles, two ATVs, two Brush Units, Rescue Boat and two command vehicles. This station also provides Emergency Medical Services and offers BLS and ALS capabilities to the township, its fleet consists of six ALS ambulances, rehab trailer and supervisors QRS vehicle. Nancy Run Fire Company Station 14, houses three Engines, one Truck (100 ft.) Tower Ladder, one Utility Truck, one Light and Air Truck, and two Command Vehicles. Both departments average more than 900 fire calls annually making them the busiest volunteer fire companies in Northampton county.

Bethlehem Township's parks system provides recreation opportunities for its residents through a series of parks, trail systems, and greenways. The two largest parks, Municipal Park on Farmersville Road in the center of the township and the Janet Johnston Housenick and William D. Housenick Memorial Park on Christian Spring Road in the northwestern corner of the township, provide dozens of acres of green space. Municipal Park features a modern recreation facility with tennis and basketball courts, a fitness trail, hardball and softball fields, and other modern amenities. In contrast, the Housenick Park property consists of conserved lands which formed part of the Camel's Hump Farm property of Archibald Johnston, the first mayor of the consolidated city of Bethlehem.

Complementing the active and passive park facilities in the township is the Palmer/Bethlehem Rail Trail, a 7.3-mile [11.7 kilometer] bicycle and walking trail near the north bank of the Lehigh River linking the county seat of Easton to the east with the city of Bethlehem, the largest municipality in the county.[16]

• Bethlehem Township
• Northampton Community College