Editing Montclair, New Jersey (section)

==History==
Montclair was initially formed as a [[Township (New Jersey)|township]] on April 15, 1868, from portions of [[Bloomfield, New Jersey|Bloomfield Township]],<ref>[http://www.montclairnjusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=342&Itemid=507 History of Montclair] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927085733/http://www.montclairnjusa.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=342&Itemid=507 |date=September 27, 2007 }}, Montclair Township. Accessed August 5, 2007. "When Bloomfield authorities declined to authorize a bond issue to underwrite another railroad, Montclair residents were successful in securing from the State legislature a charter for a separate township. Thus in 1868, the Township of Montclair was created."</ref> so that a second railroad could be built to Montclair. After a referendum held on February 21, 1894, Montclair was reincorporated as a [[Town (New Jersey)|town]], effective February 24, 1894.<ref name=Story>Snyder, John P. [https://nj.gov/dep/njgs/enviroed/oldpubs/bulletin67.pdf ''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''], Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 129. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref> It derives its name from the [[French language|French]] ''mont clair'', meaning "clear mountain" or "bright mountain."<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. [http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/356/nj_place_names_origin.pdf#page=21 ''The Origin of New Jersey Place Names''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115082401/http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/356/nj_place_names_origin.pdf#page=21 |date=November 15, 2015 }}, New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 7, 2015.</ref><ref>[[Henry Gannett|Gannett, Henry]]. [https://books.google.com/books?id=9V1IAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA20 ''The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States''], p. 21. [[United States Government Printing Office]], 1905. Accessed September 7, 2015.</ref>

In 1980, after multiple protests filed by Montclair officials regarding inequities built into the federal revenue-sharing system,<ref>Hanley, Robert. [https://www.nytimes.com/1977/08/29/archives/opponent-of-distribution-formula-for-federal-aid-steps-up-attack-as.html "Opponent of Distribution Formula For Federal Aid Steps Up Attack; As South Orange Moves to Become Township, Montclair Aide Calls for Equitable Sharing"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810072754/https://www.nytimes.com/1977/08/29/archives/opponent-of-distribution-formula-for-federal-aid-steps-up-attack-as.html |date=August 10, 2018 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', August 29, 1977. Accessed August 9, 2018. "Montclair, Aug. 26 A Town Commissioner here is intensifying his five-year-long campaign to correct what he considers are inequities in the distribution of Federal revenue-sharing money that allows diversion of the grants to New Jersey's townships at the expense of the state's needy cities."</ref> Montclair passed a referendum changing its name to the "Township of Montclair," becoming the third of more than a dozen Essex County municipalities to reclassify themselves as townships to take advantage of federal [[revenue sharing]] policies that allocated townships a greater share of government aid to municipalities on a per capita basis.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20150925103452/http://www.njstatelib.org/slic_files/imported/NJ_Information/Digital_Collections/MFMG/MFMGCH6.PDF#page=3 "Chapter VI: Municipal Names and Municipal Classification"], p. 73. [[New Jersey State Commission on County and Municipal Government]], 1992. Accessed September 24, 2015.</ref><ref>[http://www.gao.gov/assets/140/137109.pdf#page=54 "Removing Tiering From The Revenue Sharing Formula Would Eliminate Payment Inequities To Local Governments"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027050745/http://www.gao.gov/assets/140/137109.pdf#page=54 |date=October 27, 2020 }}, [[Government Accountability Office]], April 15, 1982. Accessed September 24, 2015. "In 1978, South Orange Village was the first municipality to change its name to the 'township' of South Orange Village effective beginning in entitlement period 10 (October 1978 to September 1979). The Borough of Fairfield in 1978 changed its designation by a majority vote of the electorate and became the 'Township of Fairfield' effective beginning entitlement period 11 (October 1979 to September 1980).... However, the Revenue Sharing Act was not changed and the actions taken by South Orange and Fairfield prompted the Town of Montclair and West Orange to change their designation by referendum in the November 4, 1980, election. The municipalities of Belleville, Verona, Bloomfield, Nutley, Essex Fells, Caldwell, and West Caldwell have since changed their classification from municipality to a township."</ref><ref>Narvaez, Alfonso A. [https://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/27/nyregion/new-jersey-journal-147786.html "New Jersey Journal"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021124848/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/12/27/nyregion/new-jersey-journal-147786.html |date=October 21, 2016 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 27, 1981. Accessed September 24, 2015. "Under the Federal system, New Jersey's portion of the revenue sharing funds is disbursed among the 21 counties to create three 'money pools.' One is for county governments, one for 'places' and a third for townships. By making the change, a community can use the 'township advantage' to get away from the category containing areas with low per capita incomes."</ref>

Before [[Cannabis in New Jersey|cannabis was legalized]] for sale for both medical and recreational use in 2022, the state's first marijuana dispensary opened in Montclair in December 2012, joining [[Bellmawr, New Jersey|Bellmawr]], [[Cranbury, New Jersey|Cranbury]], [[Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey|Egg Harbor Township]], and [[Woodbridge Township, New Jersey|Woodbridge Township]] as one of the five municipalities that had authorized the sale of [[Cannabis in New Jersey|medical cannabis]].<ref>Guion, Payton. [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2017/11/marijuana_legalization_would_mean_tough_choices_fo.html#incart_most-commented_hudson_article "Marijuana legalization would force tough choice for N.J. towns"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171115181345/http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2017/11/marijuana_legalization_would_mean_tough_choices_fo.html#incart_most-commented_hudson_article |date=November 15, 2017 }}, 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."</ref>