Toms River, NJ — Mayor Daniel T. Rodrick today expressed deep disappointment over the Township Council’s failure to act on a critical opportunity that could have saved Toms River taxpayers between $900,000 and $1.5 million over the next three years.
“We had a terrific opportunity to significantly reduce costs by moving our property and casualty insurance coverage from the Ocean County Joint Insurance Fund (JIF) to the New Jersey JIF,” Mayor Rodrick said. “Unfortunately, political power brokers won again, and taxpayers lost.”
Property and casualty insurance is essential to the Township’s operations, covering municipal buildings, all Township vehicles, workers’ compensation, and liability protection, including coverage for the Toms River Police Department. Without timely action, the Township would have faced the unacceptable risk of being without insurance for up to 12 hours over New Year’s Eve.
“This decision had to be made before the annual reorganization meeting,” the Mayor explained. “If it wasn’t, Toms River would have entered the new year without insurance coverage, including coverage for our police officers. That was simply not an option.”
Mayor Rodrick called a special meeting prior to January 1 to address the issue. However, he was unable to obtain a quorum.
“Councilmembers Lamb, Ciccozzi, and Nivison refused to attend the meeting, and Councilman Quinlisk failed to respond to repeated phone calls, text messages, or emails,” Mayor Rodrick said. “Their absence left me with no choice.”
The Mayor noted that while some councilmembers may now claim they lacked sufficient time to review the materials, he strongly disputes that assertion.
“That is an old and tired excuse,” he said. “They refused to return calls and declined invitations to meet and conference on this matter. The opportunity to engage was there, and it was ignored.”
Mayor Rodrick also raised concerns about political influence surrounding the decision. He pointed to public statements by Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore, who has acknowledged promising to assist Councilman Justin Lamb’s wife, Ashley Lamb, in obtaining a position with the Ocean County Clerk’s Office.
“Mr. Gilmore has business relationships with influential political figures, including George Norcross, and maintains close ties with Joe Buckelew,” Mayor Rodrick said. “Mr. George Norcross and Mr. Buckelew are principals of PERMA, the company that manages Ocean County JIF along with most JIFs and HIFs in New Jersey. This arrangement has effectively created a virtual monopoly.”
The Mayor further noted that entities associated with these arrangements have been the subject of scrutiny by the New Jersey State Comptroller, particularly regarding JIF appointments, broker relationships, and fund management.
Ultimately, the Ocean County JIF sent a letter to the Township stating it would backdate coverage to midnight on New Year’s Eve if it were reappointed. Given the lack of council action and the urgent need to maintain uninterrupted insurance coverage, Mayor Rodrick said he had no alternative.
“Despite the fact that staying with the Ocean County JIF will cost taxpayers up to $1.5 million more over three years, the actions—or inactions—of Councilmembers Lamb, Ciccozzi, Nivison, and Quinlisk left me with no other responsible option,” the Mayor said.
Mayor Rodrick compared the situation to recent efforts involving the Municipal Utilities Authority.
“Just as we saw when I attempted to dissolve the Municipal Utilities Authority, the political establishment has once again prevailed,” he said. “And once again, it’s the taxpayers of Toms River who pay the price.”
“This is another sad day for our residents,” Mayor Rodrick concluded. “I will continue to fight for transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility, even when entrenched political interests stand in the way.”