Council Bonds $14M On 2 nd Try

By Chris Lundy TOMS RIVER – A

bond ordinance borrowing money for road repair, vehicles and more passed at a recent Township Council meeting even though it failed the first time around.

The total money being spent is $14,700,510, which includes the town’s down payment. The ordinance borrows

$13,999,000 to pay for:

$7,819,000 for road paving, township-wide drainage, bulkheads, the 2023 Roadway Elevation Project as well as the Downtown Toms River Loop Road Project.

$4,385,000 for vehicles including dump trucks, a street sweeper, mower, roll-off truck, wheel loader, a tandem, pickups, 10 police cars, an ambulance, and other equipment and computers.

$1,795,000 for improvements to various municipal offices and parking lots.

The first time this bond ordinance came up for a vote, Councilmen Justin Lamb and Daniel Rodrick voted against it. Councilmen Matthew Lotano, Kev- in Geoghegan, Joshua Kopp, and James Quinlisk voted for it. Councilman David Ciccozzi was absent. Township Attorney Anthony Merlino said “Bond votes require a super majority,” which would have been five ‘yes’ votes. Because of that, there were not enough votes to pass.

Although all seven members of the Town- ship Council are Republicans, there is a split. Lamb and Rodrick often vote together, and the other five often vote together.

The point of contention in this bond is that some of the money is going toward the “downtown loop.” Lamb and Rodrick are against building up the downtown, but the (Council - See Page 23)

TOMS RIVER –

In an effort to prevent more losses to the school district, the Township Council will be borrowing money to buy 16.6 acres near Silver Bay Elementary School.

The Toms River Regional School District has been hampered by a funding formula which has taken away state aid every year since 2018. For the 2023-2024 school year, they had been anticipating a loss of aid in the amount of $2,688,937. Instead, they received a surprise cut of $14,421,851.

A bill passed that allowed the district to get 66% of that cut reinstated but it still means there was a hole to fill.

Superintendent Michael

Citta asked the Township Council to buy land owned by the district next to Silver Bay Elementary School for open space. The land is located at 100 Silver Bay Road. On the tax map, it is Block 233.24, Lot 36, and a portion of Block 233.24, Lot 38.

The township is paying a down payment of $215,000 on the bond. The township will borrow $4,285,000 and pay off the principal and interest with open space funds. The township has an open space tax of 1.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Therefore, the money for this purchase won’t be coming from municipal taxes.

“They’re solid for 20232024,” Mayor Maurice (Land - See Page 6)

25 Homeless Permanently Housed This Winter

By Chris Lundy

TOMS

RIVER – Just

Believe Inc. shared their statistics for the 2022-2023 season when they care for the homeless during the winter months, including

─Photo courtesy Just Believe Cots are set up in the Code Blue overnight shelter at Riverwood Park in Toms River. helping 25 of them find permanent housing. Just Believe is a nonprofit that runs the Code Blue shelter in Riverwood Park, which (Homeless - See Page 4) charges.