Courtroom - inside
Courtroom - Inside

Ocean County Approves $92 Million Courthouse Expansion

August 8, 2023

TOMS RIVER, NJ – The Ocean County Board of Commissioners has approved a massive new courthouse expansion to expand the 1980s-era facility on Hooper Avenue.

An ordinance authorizing the permitting and construction of the Courthouse Annex situated in Toms River Township, Ocean County, New Jersey, and allocating $92,000,000 for this purpose. Additionally, the ordinance permits the issuance of $85,000,000 in bonds or bond anticipation notes by the County of Ocean to finance this undertaking.

The Board voted unanimously for the expansion.

The Ordinance allows for the authorization for the following general improvements is granted to the County of Ocean: permitting and construction of the Courthouse Annex located in Toms River Township, Ocean County, State of New Jersey. This includes all activities essential to permitting, construction, and other related matters.

The financial breakdown is as follows:

  • Purpose or Improvement: Permitting and construction of the Courthouse Annex situated in Toms River Township
  • Estimated Cost: $92,000,000
  • Down Payment: $7,000,000
  • Estimated Maximum Amount of Bonds or Notes Authorized: $85,000,000

An appropriation of $92,000,000 was established, which includes a down payment of $7,000,000.

Phil Stilton

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.