TOMS RIVER, NJ – The most bizarre event is unfolding in Toms River. According to documents published by the Toms River School Board, former Ritacco underboss Michael Citta, now working as a school principal was denied twice by the school board to be hired as the new superintendent of the district. Citta served as assistant superintendent during the Ritacco Era.
School union leader Kathy Eagan knows that. According to Data Universe, her family made out quite well during the Ritacco-Citta era that included new jobs, pay raises and more.
Citta was granted an interview but according to sources within the board, failed to make an impression on the committee tasked with interviewing candidates. After not making the cut, Citta was urged by political insiders within Toms River Mayor Mo Hill’s inner circle to be given a second shot.
This is no longer privileged or secret information. It never was. It was a discussion that was widely circulated around town long before Kathy Eagan decided to use it as an attempt to be Mo Hill’s pawn in a checkmate move against Councilman Dan Rodrick.
Once again, he was rejected by the board. Mayor Hill’s insiders, including Toms River Councilman Kevin Geoghegan, Police Chief Mitch Little, former disgraced school board member Chris Raimann and Toms River Business Administrator Lou Amoroso have also tried to unsuccessfully lobby for the hiring of Citta.
It’s clear Mo Hill isn’t getting his way and neither is his inner circle. Citta’s not getting the job. But instead of accepting defeat, the Mo Hill gang is now pointing fingers at Toms River Councilman Dan Rodrick who allegedly gave his opinion to Eagan about why the board should instead hire somebody else.
Rodrick, who says he is a close friend of Eagan’s said that conversation never happened and Eagan has thus far shown no proof of that conversation happening, yet texts, emails and handwritten letters by Eagan, confessions from others and still more allegations are on the table regarding other high level Mo Hill officials pressuring the board for Citta.
Although Eagan has been barred legally from being involved in the hiring process, she continued to meddle in the hiring process as an elected board member in clear violation of New Jersey ethics laws.
Yet Eagan and the Mo Hill team insist Rodrick is the guilty party in this matter. Chris Raimann, who works on the political campaign of Jason Crispin working to get Rodrick out of office on behalf of the mayor is ironically also calling for action against Rodrick.
It’s because Rodrick scares Mo Hill. Rodrick scares Kevin Geoghegan and Rodrick scares the people who are trying to prevent the truth about Toms River from getting out into the public. Mo Hill represents nepotism, patronage, cronyism, and a radical alteration of the very fabric of Toms River. He does this because his handlers are being enriched by sweet real estate deals, skyscrapers in Downtown Toms River, and suburban gentrification of the entire township.
What is even worse is that the Mo Hill gang is up in arms because Rodrick has been accused of asking a non-voting board member not to hire the former Ritacco underboss, yet the Chief of Police, the township business administrator, Mo Hill, commissioners, other council members, high profile lawyers, town attorneys and more have all actively lobbied the school board to hire one of their own associates.
Much of this dialogue seems to revolved around the two school board members who are barred from actually voting on the hiring of a new superintendent.
Why? Just look at the school budget. These people want the tens of millions of dollars in professional work. They want to hire their friends to jobs in the district. They want total control of the budget, even though the budget is being destroyed by Trenton. These people want any crumbs they can shake out of the Toms River School District.
We reported months ago that Mo Hill is making a play for the Toms River School District. His play, Citta, was denied, now all of Mo’s schmoes are up in arms and they need somebody to be mad at…Once again, enter Dan Rodrick.
