Mayor Daniel Rodrick says taxpayer-funded health benefits for Municipal Utilities Authority commissioners violate township compensation limits and will be challenged in Superior Court.
TOMS RIVER — Mayor Daniel Rodrick is escalating his long-running dispute with the Toms River Municipal Utilities Authority, announcing plans to seek court intervention over health insurance benefits provided to commissioners who work only a few hours each year. Rodrick argues the benefits violate township ordinances and place an unfair burden on taxpayers.
Photo: Toms River MUA Commissioner Phil Brilliant. (Facebook/Phil Brilliant)
According to the mayor, MUA commissioners attend one 20-minute meeting each month but receive family health insurance coverage valued at more than $40,000 annually. Rodrick contends the arrangement exceeds compensation limits established under township law.
One MUA member continues to battle the mayor, former longtime President of the B’nai Israel synagogue in Toms River, Phil Brilliant. Brilliant has been fighting to keep his benefits, creating Facebook pages attacking the mayor, and as the leader of a failed effort to recall Dan Rodrick. Ocean County Commissioner Schmuel “Sam” Ellenbogen also receives free healthcare on the MUA, as well as other politically connected and politically appointed members.
Those members meet once per month for between 30 minutes and one hour adn receive paid compensation and free healthcare for their families.
Mayor seeks court ruling
“The township ordinance is crystal clear,” Rodrick said. “Commissioners are not supposed to receive more than $2,000 annually in compensation. Yet somehow MUA is handing out health benefits worth tens of thousands of dollars a year to political appointees who barely meet six hours annually.”
Rodrick said the township intends to pursue a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief in Superior Court to determine whether the benefits violate local ordinances and state law.
“This isn’t complicated,” he said. “Either the ordinance means what it says or it doesn’t. We’re going to ask a judge to decide.”
Long-running dispute with the authority
The mayor has repeatedly criticized the MUA, describing it as a political patronage system and arguing that many of its responsibilities could be handled by Ocean County. He has advocated either dissolving the authority or significantly reducing its size and costs.
“We already maintain storm sewers through the township,” Rodrick said. “The county processes the sewage. What exactly is the MUA doing besides maintaining another layer of bureaucracy? Taxpayers are funding an entire parallel government that no longer serves its original purpose.”
Rodrick estimates eliminating the authority could save taxpayers more than $2 million annually and potentially reduce or eliminate residential sewer bills. “My goal is simple,” he said. “Reduce costs, eliminate waste, and ultimately get rid of sewer bills for residents.”
Political opposition remains
Efforts to dissolve the MUA have faced opposition from council members aligned with former Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill, according to the article. Councilman Clinton Bradley, Councilman Robert Bianchini, and Councilman David Ciccozzi have opposed dissolution efforts, arguing the utility continues to serve an operational purpose.
They have all opposed efforts to end free healthcare. Those part-time council members are also eligible to receive free healthcare for themselves and their families. Rodrick also hinted at recent meetings that those benefits should also be questioned.
In 2025, the previous council had a chance to eliminate those benefits by dissolving the agency, but former councilman Justin Lamb voted to push the problem to the new council, breaking a 3-3 tie that would have ended the benefits scheme for MUA commissioners.
Rodrick said ending commissioner health benefits could be the first step if broader dissolution efforts fail to gain enough support. “If they refuse to dissolve the authority, the very least we can do is stop these outrageous benefits,” he said. “Nobody serving six hours a year should receive taxpayer-funded compensation packages worth more than many residents earn working full-time.”
The mayor added that the challenge could determine not only the future of the commissioner benefits but potentially the long-term structure of the MUA itself. “This fight is about taxpayers,” Rodrick said. “Residents are done funding political favors disguised as government.”
Key Points
• Toms River Mayor Daniel Rodrick plans to take the MUA to Superior Court over commissioner health benefits.
• Rodrick says commissioners working about six hours annually receive family health coverage worth more than $40,000 per year.
• The legal challenge seeks a court ruling on whether the benefits violate township ordinances and state law.