Rodrick Makes Sweeping Changes To Toms River Administration

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick did exactly what he said he would do when elected, making sweeping changes in Toms River's administration on his first day in office.

Rodrick was sworn in as mayor on Monday, along with his council running mates, Lynn O'Toole, Craig Coleman and Thomas Nivison. Coleman was elected council president, with O'Toole as council vice president, and they along with Councilman Justin Lamb took the first steps of what Rodrick said was just the start of "getting Toms River back on the right track."

"It's time to bring everyone together in Toms River," Rodrick said in his remarks (see the video below) after taking the oath of office, which was administered by state Sen. Jon Bramnick. "We all want the same thing, safe streets, good schools and low property taxes. People are happy with the way Toms River is. They don't want to live in a city."

Rodrick said he chose Bramnick, a Republican from Westfield, to administer his oath because "he has a long record of bringing together Democrats and Republicans to solve problems."

He also took steps to address what he viewed as a source of problems, appointing, with the council's approval, a number of professionals.

Among the professionals appointed:

• Scott Tirella as business administrator, with a salary of $165,000 and a six-month contract. Tirella replaces Louis Amoruso, who stepped down in December to return to his position as head of the public works department.
• Laura Picurro as director of Health and Human Services, with a salary of $72,000. She replaces Maria Maruca.
• Jonathan Solanis as director of the recreation department, at a salary of $105,000. He replaces Jared Tate.
• Wendy A. Birkhead as township engineer and director of the department of engineering, with a salary of $152,622.60. She replaces Robert Chankalian.

A number of contracts in place with firms providing a variety of professional services were extended to the end of February, with the possibility that some will be replaced at the end of February.

Other employees were set to be removed as well.

"By tomorrow payroll for confidential employees will be reduced by half a million a year," Rodrick said. He did not specify during the meeting how many employees were in that category, but said "we're not talking about rank-and-file employees, we're talking about political jobs and overpaid management positions."

In addition, two ordinances were introduced. One would repeal the controversial certificate of occupancy ordinance that had real estate agents and homeowners in an uproar over the fees and delays involved with inspections and receiving the certificates, "cutting the red tape," Rodrick said.

The second would restructure the township's Department of Administration. The draft of the ordinance, which was posted online Tuesday, would move the township's public works department under the supervision of the Department of Administration and the department head would become a director, appointed by the mayor.

Both ordinances are set for a second reading at the Jan. 31 township council meeting.

Rodrick, who has railed about overdevelopment in the township since he began campaigning for a township council seat in 2017, said he also appointed six new members of the Planning Board. The new members replace "the ones who voted for the towers downtown," the apartment building/mixed use project he pledged to stop and that became a critical campaign issue.

He also plans to fight the Meridia 40 project at the site of the former Red Carpet Inn, saying the township is going to "bring in a high-powered attorney to fight these guys and get us out of this terrible deal."

"Some say it can't be stopped. I disagree and I won't back down," Rodrick said.

"This is just the start. Wait until you see what we do in our first 100 days," he said.

Councilmen James Quinlisk and David Ciccozzi voted against the resolutions and the certificate of occupancy ordinance repeal, and opposed the Department of Administration changes — Ciccozzi voted no and Quinlisk abstained — saying they had only been presented with the agenda an hour before the meeting.

Lamb countered, claiming he and Rodrick had frequently not seen agendas in a timely manner under the previous administration, which Quinlisk said was a lie.

The vote on the resolutions was moved with one vote, as part of the consent agenda, with no opportunity offered to the council or residents to ask questions about any of the resolutions. Quinlisk and Ciccozzi asked for the opportunity to pull out some of the resolutions for discussion and a separate vote, but were denied.

"I'm trying not to be run over," Quinlisk said. "This was not published in a timely manner for the public to see."

"I tried to call you for two weeks, you never returned my calls," Rodrick said.

In their council remarks at the end of the meeting, Ciccozzi — who has been open in his dislike of Rodrick — said he had contemplated resigning, but decided to stay and fight after receiving a text message that he said read, "You're next." He didn't say who the text was from.

"I'm trying to be a team player," Quinlisk said. "Maybe some of this (the changes) makes sense. I don't want to be blindsided. I'm here to fight for the town, not a political group. If we're going to fight, let's keep it fair."