Boonton Township name change on the table

What's in a name? What about a name like Boonton?

In Boonton Township, some residents want to change the town's name.

There is a group, albeit a small one, that's moving to change the 148-year-old name.  

A few name suggestions include Powerville and Mountain Lakes.

However on the other hand, locals like Bill McKee and Charlie Maraziti say just leave it be.

“That's why my sign says ‘Boonton Township Forever,” McKee said, "Because we don't want a name change.”

“We're proud of the name, we're proud of the people, and our tradition and history -- and there's absolutely no reason to change that,” Maraziti said.

Reached on the phone, Ed Daspin, the man behind the name-change effort, couldn't really talk about the proposal, but it is said to be an effort at rebranding the town and pump up property values.

 A different town in New Jersey, Robbinsville, changed its name from Washington Township seven years ago.  

“Now that we have our own brand -- our own identity -- you look at some of the other towns in Mercer County and they've actually had a decrease in property values. Robbinsville saw a 15 percent increase,” Robbinsville Mayor Dave Fried said.

But Robbinsville and Boonton Township are very different towns.

Bud Tringali runs Tringali Iron Works in Boonton Township. He says your name's your identity, part of who you are, how's a town any different?

“It's kind of sensitive name-switching for me because I don't see the need for it,” Tringali said. 

At the end of the day it’s not likely anyway. The social media outcry against a name change has been huge. 

The petitioners have two weeks to get hundreds of signatures -- just to get the proposal in front of voters.   

Plus, the township council is said to be unanimous against the change.