TOMS RIVER-Democrat backed school board members Michael Horgan, Steve Kaczala and Michele Williams fired the opening salvo in a contested race for control of the Toms River School Board last week.
A letter was sent to residents claiming the Republican-backed ticket for school board is backed by the same people who backed former district superintendent Michael Ritacco.
“It’s alarming that one of our opponents has 4 family members on the payroll of the Toms River School District,” taking a shot at Republican candidate Al Schwartz.
“We cannot afford to return to the bad old days, when conflicts of interest and nepotism undermined our schools and wasted our tax dollars,” the letter said.
The Democrats are facing a Republican slate of Teri Kubiel, Al Schwartz and Ginny Rhine. Campaign signs posted in recent days by Democrats bear the Clean Slate design, suggesting this year’s Democrats are being backed by the party, through political operatives that managed a successful school board takeover in Brick Township last year.
Another candidate, Robert Onofrietti, a registered Republican, is running without the backing of any major political party this fall.
Check back as we follow the back and forth battle for control of the Toms River School board all month long.