TOMS RIVER-Laurie Huryk of Toms River is a registered nurse and a former girl scout troop leader and is hoping to make a difference in Toms River. She’s running for Toms River Council next month, hoping to take on big money politics this year.
Huryk recently sent out a flyer to residents saying she wants to stop the building in the North Dover section of the township where 2,500 apartment units were recently approved near the Toms River border with Lakewood.
In her letter, she claimed the current administration in Toms River was giving special deals to Lakewood developers in the form of spot-zoning. She added that she wants to curb residential growth along Toms River’s Route 9 corridor.
Huryk also claimed the township has a spending problem that she wants to stop. She claimed the township spent $5.2 million on 45 new patronage jobs including a whopping $316,000 claim to township administrator Paul Shives, although records on file with the Asbury Park Press’ Datauniverse shows Shives earning a meager $223,252 per year.
Her letter also criticizes other township patronage jobs including former Brick Township Mayor Stephen Acropolis, Township Councilman Brian Kubiel, Councilwoman Maria Maruca and Republican Club President Robert DiBiase, each earning six figure salaries, not all through the township.
Toms River also provides a financial safe-haven to Jackson Township Councilwoman Anne Updegrave who brings in a slim $62,234 per year through her position as a councilwoman in Jackson and her patronage job as a confidential aide to the Toms River Township Council.
The opinions expressed in this article are not those of The Shore News Network.