Toms River Council Candidate 2023: Paul C. Williams

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Tuesday is Primary Election Day, and Toms River voters have several choices for the Democratic nominees for the Township Council.

Patch sent a questionnaire to all four candidates seeking their responses. Here are the replies from Paul C. Williams. They are unedited except for typographical errors and punctuation.

Name: Paul C. Williams

Age: 53

Family: Unmarried; Daughter

Education: College

Occupation: Owner Of pcwImages, providing photography and videography services; Freelance legal assistant; and founder and president of Project Heuristic, an NJ nonprofit corporation, providing assistance to formerly incarcerated and court-involved men and women to successfully transition into communities.

Previous elective office, if any: 2018-present Ocean County Democratic County Committee

Do you or anyone in your family work for the state, county or local governments or a position that would force you to abstain from votes? No

Why are you seeking office?

Against all odds and readily conceding that I am the unlikeliest of candidates, I am now seeking election for numerous reasons but all have one very common denominator … genuine altruism and faithful service to the people and businesses within the town that, even when I had to move and live in other areas, has always been my “home” and my community. I endeavor to be, as the saying goes, the change I want to see.

For example, I want to see legitimate, electable, Democratic candidates, not mere “placeholder” candidates, seeking election for our Mayor and Council seats; bringing an end to the near-constant and completely one-sided political control of our government. After all, “absolute control absolutely corrupts” and the one-sided political control of our county government and nearly all of our municipalities, including Toms River, cannot be honestly said to have resulted in the best service of the people and this is exemplified by simply looking at the ever-increasing squabbling among the Republican party.

I also want to see elected officials who are civil, respectful, and considerate to each other, even in debate and/or disagreement, in the process of serving the township and its vast variety of people; convinced that Toms River can be and should be a shining example of good governance for all Ocean County municipalities.

I also want to see elected officials who are forthright, transparent, and accountable to the people on all matters that actually, or possibly, can impact the people and businesses of Toms River; avoiding even the appearance of possible impropriety and betrayal of the public trust.

I am firmly committed to being the change I want to see.

Making downtown Toms River a vibrant place similar to what exists in Red Bank has been discussed for years. What would you propose to achieve that?

I have participated in many of those very discussions, going back nearly ten years, and I understand that not much has really come to fruition due to a variety of factors that are far beyond the control of our Government. However, I have been and will continue to be an ardent supporter of the downtown area and would love to see it be a vibrant place in itself. The Downtown Night Out the past few years, as well as several other events, have all made clear that the downtown area can be an extraordinary place for our community and, without jeopardizing what remains of the historic complexion of the area, making it more vibrant should be a constant priority of our township officials and stakeholders; so, albeit in very general terms, I would propose that more be done to encourage the making of the downtown area more attractive … for all of Toms River’s residents and surrounding areas.

Toms River has been on the short end of a number of issues with the state of New Jersey in the last few years, from beach replenishment to school funding. How would you break through the political divide to address it?

Inspired by the efforts and results of our former councilman, Terrance Turnbach (D), who was remarkably able to get millions in cut school aid restored to our school district and also to get state legislation passed to assist our homeless population during cold temperatures, I have and continue to learn from Mr. Turnbach and he has been instrumental to helping me understand how I may be a most effective councilman; including getting through the political polarization between Toms River and the State. Fundamentally, I would continue to build healthy, working, relationships with our State officials for the good of our community.

Homelessness is affecting every community in Ocean County as the cost of rentals skyrockets and availability decreases. How would you address that to assist Toms River residents?

Having been homeless multiple times in my life, as both an adolescent and an adult, this is a topic that occupies particular significance in my mind. Many of the worst decisions I made in my youth and young adult years were made in the midst of contending with actual homelessness or the threat of becoming homeless.

Throughout the past 11 years, one of the biggest issues I have had to contend with through my efforts with my nonprofit is the homelessness of the men and women who have returned to the community. I understand that it would be fiscally irresponsible, if not impossible, for any municipality, such as Toms River, to shoulder all the financial burden that is necessary to properly address the issue of homelessness, because success would draw homeless from other municipalities, throughout the County and the State, to Toms River. So … to address that issue, I would work in bipartisan spirit with the Council, Mayor, as well as our County, State, and Federal officials for assistance with this issue. I am also mindful of the Ocean County Board of Commissioners recently voting to end its 14 years of opposition to establishing a Homelessness Trust Fund and this has the potential to be a tremendous step in the right direction.