TOMS RIVER, NJ – Toms River residents will head to the election booth today to decide the next mayor for their town after a tumultuous four-year reign of current mayor Maurice Hill. Hill was defeated in the June GOP primary election by Councilman Dan Rodrick.
For six years on the council, Rodrick had been a lone voice against the overdevelopment in Toms River, battling with Democrats and fellow Republicans month after month. Now, he hopes the townspeople equip him with the necessary votes to become mayor today.
Rodrick is facing Ben Giovine, who, as president of the Toms River Democrat club, supported the Downtown Toms River Redevelopment Plan proposed by Hill and his allies, which garnered bi-partisan support when Giovine had two Democrat councilmembers in office, Terrance Turnbach and Laurie Huryk.
Giovine, who worked closely in town hall with the Hill administration as a staffer for Congressman Andy Kim, has been clear about his vision of Toms River; he will not do anything risky to get the town sued when it comes to development, zoning, and quality of life issues.
Giovine had slammed Rodrick’s anti-development stance as being ‘anti-Semitic’ in an attempt to pander to the growing Orthodox Jewish community bloc vote.
A once fractured Toms River Republican Party has united behind Rodrick this year. Rodrick has also had the support of two GOP power players, NJ 101.5 conservative radio host Bill Spadea, and former GOP Gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli.
Rodrick pointed out the criminal acts of Giovine and his running mate Rhetta Jackson Fair. Giovine was arrested for drunk driving, and Fair has a long rap sheet that includes theft, assault, and fraud.
“Ben Giovine supports the agenda of the current administration,” Rodrick said. “If Ben wins, nothing changes in Toms River, and the plan continues. He has supported overdevelopment, wants to turn our town into a city, and has made that very clear.”
Rodrick urged Toms River voters to come out and cast their ballot for a new direction for Toms River.