In a recent announcement, Toms River Mayor Dan Rodrick introduced a plan to reorganize the town’s bureaucratic structure, targeting what he describes as “confusing and inconsistent” designations for departments and divisions. The reorganization, he explained, will provide more logical classifications, especially where departments with fewer employees are currently ranked above divisions with larger workforces.
During a town meeting, Rodrick highlighted some of the major discrepancies, pointing out that the Division of Roads, which employs over 50 people, is classified as a division. Meanwhile, the Department of Senior Services, which has only four employees, is ranked higher as a department. “It doesn’t make sense to have one thing categorized as a department with four employees in it and something else categorized lower than that as a division with 50 employees,” Rodrick said.
Rodrick also noted similar issues between other town services, such as sanitation and recreation. The Division of Sanitation, one of the largest divisions with a significant number of employees, is currently classified under administration. Recreation, by contrast, is listed as a department even though it has fewer staff members, swelling only in the summer due to part-time positions. “Our nomenclature for these departments and divisions—it’s conflicting; it doesn’t make sense,” Rodrick stated.
The reorganization, Rodrick clarified, is primarily aimed at consistency. It won’t change reporting structures or alter who division and department heads report to, which by statute is the Business Administrator. “This doesn’t change who anyone reports to. All it does is make everything consistent and leaves behind as department heads the only people that are department heads by State Statute,” he said.
Rodrick emphasized that this ordinance is about aligning the town’s structure with state statute requirements. Positions that are mandated by statute—such as the clerk, tax collector, tax assessor, and CFO—will remain as department heads. He stressed that these titles should reflect both the actual role and responsibility size. “For us to call [some positions] a department head in some cases and in other cases, where it’s a larger group of employees, to call them divisions and list them lower—it just doesn’t make sense,” he explained.
Rodrick concluded his remarks by stating that the reorganization will correct many of the arbitrary changes made over the years. “There have been a lot of changes along the way for reasons that are frankly unknown to me, but this should all make sense and all support what we see in State Statute with respect to department heads,” he said.
The mayor’s proposal has drawn interest from residents, some of whom voiced their thoughts at the meeting. This ordinance, which has been discussed in prior meetings, aims to simplify Toms River’s government and ensure its structure is clear and fair across all departments and divisions.
“It’s about making our table of organization make sense,” Rodrick said.
