TOMS RIVER-As the Toms River Township financial budget crisis gets worse, Toms River Mayor Maurice B Hill and his administration are asking taxpayers to begin upgrading vehicles in the Department of Public Works including utility trucks and garbage trucks. Some of those vehicles are nearing the 100,000 mile threshold and it’s time for an upgrade, according to Hill.
Mo Hill is about to spend $4,000,000 on new vehicles for the Department of Public works, but there might not be anyone left to drive them.
The Toms River budget was not presented for a vote at Tuesday’s regular council meeting. As of now, Hill is asking to raise taxes by a whopping 7% to cover these new expenses. Last week Hill announced the township will need an additional $800,000 to fight COVID-19.
Hill keeps cutting payroll, but the budget keeps going up.
Today, Hill announced he is furloughing 60 township employees due to the coronavirus pandemic. At first, Hill said he would allow workers to voluntarily furlough themselves, but on Tuesday, he walked back his statement saying the furloughs will be involuntary.
Police Department Shooting Range – $200,000
Mo Hill, in his original budget presented to the town council also sought to build a $200,000 shooting range for the police department.
$250,000 job for campaign donor?
At Tuesday’s council meeting, Councilman Daniel Rodrick accused Mo Hill of changing the inhouse legal counsel staffing to make room for his political ally, campaign donor and head of his mayoral transition team, Gregory P. McGuckin. That job could pay McGuckin at least $250,000 annually on top of the dozen other contracts his firm holds in other towns worth an estimated $2,000,000 annually.
It’s unclear how McGuckin, could handle the load in Toms River. His firm currently serves as the legal counsel for the Lakewood Zoning Board, Jackson Township, Lacey Township, Manchester Township, Barnegat Township. They also have a $150,00 annual contract already on the books in Toms River.
$300 per hour investigation
The Hill administration is falling apart. Now, they are investigating town hall whistleblowers to the tune of $300 per hour in a contract now approved by Hill to investigate who is leaking his deepest darkest secrets, like his plan to take health insurance coverage away from MUA staff shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Now, Hill is trying to find out which one of his minions is talking to the media. The short answer is, they all are.
Photo by James Day on Unsplash