TOMS RIVER, NJ – Supporters of Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill are asking the Toms River Jewish community, Askanim, to register to vote to assist Hill’s election campaign.
After polls showed Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill trailed his opponent Councilman Daniel Rodrick, the Toms River Jewish Community Council (VAAD) put out a call to “get out the vote” (GOTV) to fellow members of the Jewish community in Toms River.
The message was to stop Dan Rodrick from defeating Mo Hill.
Hill narrowly defeated his Democrat opponent in 2019 and, since taking office, has pushed development projects and policy that has been widely unpopular with residents, including the urbanization of Downtown Toms River, a tax evaluation that sent property taxes skyrocketing for many in the town and for questionable land deals, including a deal that gave a developer a $3.5 million tract of land for just one dollar downtown.
Baruch Kalusyzyner, a political lobbyist and one of the leaders of the Toms River VAAD put out the call to register to vote ahead of the June primary election in an attempt to block Rodrick.
Rodrick has publicly opposed the TJRCC’s requests to expand a Department of Justice agreement on where houses of worship can be placed in town. That decision led Mayor Mo Hill to create green zones. Kaluszyner wants to see those green zones expanded. Rodrick opposes that plan, but Hill could see that plan through if he wins in November.
Right now, Hill is not talking about the plan because the topic has become an election issue.
Rodrick is at odds with the members of the Jewish community. Recently, a man died after being struck by a car near a home being used as a house of worship. A short distance away, that same day, a car collided with a telephone pole outside a home being used as a house of worship on Whitesville Road.
Rodrick contends that residents in neighborhoods don’t want to see lines of cars several times a day and parked overnight, turning their once quiet neighborhoods into commercial thoroughfares that create quality of life and safety issues for residents.
He said the issue is not about religion; it’s about public safety and quality of life for residents who purchased homes in quiet, off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods that do not allow for commercial-style uses.
“Toms River is in big trouble,” Rodrick said. “Taxes are out of control, and high-density, multifamily development continues to reshape our town. As homes are converted into houses of worship, quiet residential neighborhoods are being transformed into busy commercial streets.”
In response, the Toms River VAAD has branded Rodrick’s concerns as antisemitic.
The Lakewood Scoop claimed Rodrick was simply targeting the Jewish community.
“With so much at stake, including Shuls and Eruvin, and with at least one candidate openly running as the ‘anti-development’ candidate (read: Jews) vote, Askanim in Toms River are urging every single person of legal age to make sure they are registered to vote in the June primary,” TLS reported.
At this point, Rodrick is favored to win, but spoiler candidates Jerry Ambrosio and Robert Manchini could produce enough votes, as planned, to pave the way for a Hill victory.
Rodrick said this week that when he becomes mayor, he will be fair to all residents and not cater to any specific special interests or developers, as he is accusing current Mayor Hill of doing.
Ambrosio, who is closely tied to Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore, has been attacking Rodrick non-stop on social media in an attempt to sway votes from him to pave the way for a Hill victory.
“She has no money, she can’t win, there are discussions being had to get her to step away,” one source within the Ocean County GOP told Shore News Network today.
In response to the condemnation by the TRJCC, Rodrick said he would continue doing what he has done since taking office, speaking to the people of Toms River about important issues, stopping the agenda of Mayor Mo Hill, and fighting over overdevelopment.
The Toms River Jewish Community Council endorsed Mo Hill for mayor in 2019. They are expected to announce an endorsement for Hill shortly before the June 6th Republican primary election.
