TOMS RIVER, NJ – Mo Hill will come with a book and chill. He will, Hill will. Toms River Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill visited the students at East Dover Elementary School and stressed the importance of being a good reader to the young students.
Hill appeared to struggle a bit, like a fish out of water, but like all true politicians found a way out of it.
“Hill told the students that he was not a fast reader when he was in elementary school and that he learned that retention was more important than speed,” Art Gallagher, the mayor’s spokesman said after the reading.
Mayor Hill told the students to set their goals high in life and encouraged the students to never be deterred by naysayers.
Hill became mayor by winning a long battle against GOP Chairman George Gilmore. Gilmore a few years prior to the 2019 Mayoral election told Hill he could not be a U.S. Congressman. Then he told Hill he could not be a mayor.
Hill defeated Gilmore’s handpicked candidate, former Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato in a heated GOP primary election. Hill later defeated his Democrat opponent, a successful Toms River lawyer, Jonathan Petro by a slim margin to become mayor of Toms River.
During his campaign, Hill rejected sentiment in Toms River against the growing Orthodox Jewish community at the time. Hill welcomed the community with open arms and they were credited with securing his election win, a strategy he is hoping pays off again in this year’s GOP primary where he will once again battle the forces of George Gilmore, aligned against him.
