Toms river mayor shames local businesses for mitigating the spread of covid-19
Photo by Art Gallagher, secretary to Mayor Maurice "Mo" Hill.

Toms River Mayor shames local businesses for mitigating the spread of COVID-19

by
January 17, 2022
··

TOMS RIVER, NJ – As many cities across New Jersey are imposing indoor mask mandates, in Toms River, it’s the opposite. Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill has forced a business to change a misleading “masks required” sign, according to Hill spokesman Art Gallagher.

The Mayor was out and about this weekend yelling at local businesses who were imposing mask mandates to their customers.

Hill, who tested positive last week for COVID-19 said he was upset with a sign at the local Lowes home improvement center on Hooper Avenue and demanded the business change it.

“Mayor Hill was asked about the “requirement” by several residents who saw a sign at the entrance to Lowes on Hooper Avenue which stated, “In accordance with local ordinances you are required to wear a mask or face covering while indoors, regardless of vaccination status.” There are no such ordinances in Toms River,” Gallagher said in a statement.

“I don’t favor mandates,” Hill said. “Our citizens are responsible and can make their own choices.”

Mayor Hill allegedly visited the Lowes store on Saturday to ask the manager to remove the inaccurate sign and found that it had already been taken down. The manager explained that they had gotten a phone call alerting them to the fact that there was no local mask mandate.

Hill took the incident to remind Toms River residents and visitors that he prefers customers to not wear masks while shopping in his town, because it’s not mandated, earning him a potential ‘knucklehead’ call out by Governor Phil Murphy. Hill added, that there are no local ordinances in Toms River requiring facemasks in stores.

The Mayor then drove south to lash out at the local Chipotle restaurant for wanting contactless payments from its customers to mitigate the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant.

Gallagher said Hill also visited the Chipotle restaurant on Hooper Avenue after receiving a citizen complaint that the store had a sign posted which said they were only accepting “contactless payment” due to a local ordinance.

Despite the businesses requiring face masks, the mayor refused to wear one during his visits.

“The mayor found a sign posted which stated that only credit card payments were being accepted due to “instructions from local authorities.” The manager explained that the store was only accepting credit cards due to the coin shortage impacting many businesses throughout the country and that it had nothing to do with “local authorities.” The manager agreed to change the sign at the mayor’s request,” Gallagher said in a statement posted to the township’s Facebook page.

Phil Stilton
Phil Stilton Latest posts

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.

  1. New Jersey Town Where ICE Agent Was Run Down Passes Resolution Urging Repeal of Sanctuary State Policies
  2. New Jersey Dem Lawmakers Move to Expand Assault Rifle Ban As Court Rules Existing Law Unconstitutional
  3. FIFA Is Now Selling World Cup Grass Paid for by New Jersey Taxpayers
  4. Flood Watch, Severe Thunderstorm Risk, and Possible EF2 Tornado Threat Across New Jersey Today