TOMS RIVER, NJ – The Toms River Police Department and EMT CSO program is having over $1,000,000 annually being ripped from their budget by a bad deal made by former Toms River Mayor Mo Hill. The Silverton EMS is pocketing that money under a no-bid contract signed by Hill and his former council.
That money could be used immediately to save two Toms River police officers…and everyone in town knows it, but they don;t want to talk about it.
During a special meeting of the Toms River Township council meeting over the expansion of the Toms River Police Department’s EMT service, retiring police Captain Mike Miller blamed Silverton First Aid for the problems the town is dealing with when it comes to emergency medical services.
Addressing Mayor Dan Rodrick, Miller asked, “Is anything going to be done about Silverton First Aid Squad and the thousands of calls they take every year from the [police department] CSOs?”
Miller was referring to a widely criticized agreement between the township that was upheld by former Mayor Maurice Hill, despite fierce opposition. Former Councilman Kevin Geoghegan serves as the President of Silverton First Aid Squad. Former Toms River Councilman Josh Kopp also serves on the squad.
In 2018, then Toms River Mayor Tom Kelaher sought to terminate the township’s agreement with Geoghegan and his for-profit medical service. According to Kelaher, Silverton was not participating in a 50/50 revenue-sharing system with the township. It’s a deal all of the volunteer squad abide by.
Under Mo Hill, Silverton was allowed to keep all of the money it collected by taking calls in Toms River, as other agencies continued paying their dues to the town, shortchanging the town’s volunteer EMS squads and ‘hogging up’ all of the first aid calls in Toms River.
“The township is in the position of financing a private business,” Kelaher said.
Mo Hill continued the agreement during his four years in office.
Mayor Rodrick told Captain Miller that the contract with Silverton First Aid is currently a ‘legal matter’ and he could not discuss the details in public.
“I can’t discuss the Silverton EMS thing at this time,” Rodrick replied. “It’s a legal matter and something that taking that is taking thousands and thousands of dollars as well. As you know former Mayor Tom Kelaher put out a letter letter to the entire community about it and it’s something we are reviewing again.”
“I think it’s safe to say that if we had more ambulances on the road from the township we would pick up more calls, but there is a contract that is in place that has never been signed it’s been it was in put in place several years ago and rolled over [by Mayor Mo Hill],” Miller added.
Now a fight seems to be brewing between Miller and Geoghegan.
The next day, Geoghegan called for an internal affairs investigation against Captain Miller with the Toms River Police Department. Township officials would not comment on the complaint or allegations raised by Geoghegan.
The contract between Toms River Township and Silverton First Aid Squad has been described as a ‘no-bid’ contract that allowed Hill to enrich his former running mates using township funds.