TOMS RIVER, NJ – Toms River Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill continued to beat a dead horse at Wednesday night’s Toms River Township Council Meeting, defending his tenure as mayor. Hill said during the campaign, residents were rude to him and his staffers, even going as far as ‘bullying’ his grandchildren.
Hill stood before the township council on Wednesday and defended his positions which cost him the June 2023 primary election. Hill explained why he worked with the Department of Justice to reduce the acreage of houses of worship.
The council agreed to settle that case, with Rodrick being the lone opposition.
Hill also slammed the use of the term ‘Lakewood style housing’ during the campaign.
“It’s not due to Lakewood style development,” Hill said. “I hate that term. It has nothing to do with Lakewood style housing; it has to do with affordable housing.”
He also blamed the Ocean County Board of Taxation for the tax assessment that jacked up taxes for many longtime residents in town.
“A third of the houses are going to go, a third will stay the same, and a third will come down,” Hil said.
Hill said because of the tax reassessment, seniors’ taxes went up, and he faulted his opponent Geri Ambrosio for being on the tax board at the time of the assessment.
“They got hit hard, there’s no question about it,” Hill said after many homes in senior communities were hit with tax increases as high as 100%.
Hill decried the Holiday City newsletter put out last year featuring a letter from Councilman Dan Rodrick.
He said the letter was full of false information and used his personal cell phone number to contact the mayor. That letter slammed Hill for not offering residents an easier way to dispute their exorbitant new tax assessments.
