TOMS RIVER, N.J. — Toms River Mayor Dan Rodrick announced that municipal property taxes will remain flat this year, crediting deep payroll cuts and a rollback of major development plans for the move.
This is Rodrick’s second year in office and his second 0% tax budget.
In a recent interview, Rodrick said the town has trimmed its municipal workforce and reduced spending significantly since he took office.
“We’ve reduced payroll from $55.8 million to $50.3 million,” he said, adding that about $5.5 million in payroll was cut by eliminating unnecessary or redundant positions.
Rodrick said that while residents may still see increases in their total tax bills, those would stem from county or school taxes. “We have kept the amount of spending we’re doing as a municipality flat,” he said. “Actually, we’ve decreased spending.”
He also detailed his administration’s decision to cancel a controversial agreement with developer Capodagli for the construction of high-rise towers on the Toms River waterfront. The developer had allegedly missed several project deadlines, prompting the township to terminate the contract.
Rodrick and the town council also repealed the broader downtown redevelopment plan that would have allowed developers to construct buildings up to 15 stories high and offer tax exemptions for up to 50 years. “We’ve been fighting the developers, taking them on head-on,” he said.
Development rollback aims to preserve local character
Rodrick argued that such high-density development does not align with the town’s identity or fiscal goals.
“It’s not commensurate with the look and feel of Toms River,” he said.
He pointed out that offering decades-long tax exemptions while adding hundreds of housing units made little economic sense, especially when the town wouldn’t collect property taxes from them.
He acknowledged that the town had previously spent money to preserve open space but criticized the imbalance in offering long-term tax breaks for large developments.
“It’s just not fiscally responsible to put 500 families somewhere with no property taxes,” he said.
Rodrick said his administration’s focus will remain on controlling spending, reducing unnecessary municipal costs, and maintaining the character of the town while avoiding overdevelopment.
Key Points
- Toms River’s municipal payroll was cut by $5.5 million under Mayor Rodrick
- A major redevelopment plan allowing 15-story towers and long-term tax breaks was repealed
- Property taxes for municipal services will remain flat despite potential increases from schools or county
Rodrick’s office said more budget details would be shared in upcoming town meetings.
