TOMS RIVER - Anger over overdevelopment and property taxes helped Democrats take three council seats Tuesday. But will they be able to deliver on promises to control spending and limit multi-family housing in Toms River?

"I want to put a stop to all this multi-family construction. That’s important to me and that’s important to the electorate," said Democrat Daniel Rodrick, who defeated Republican Councilman Kevin M. Geoghegan in the race for a Ward 2 council seat.

"There were a lot of mistakes made by the previous administration and we pointed them out, and the electorate made their decision."

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Rodrick, who estimated he had knocked on more than 5,000 doors and had conversations with more than 1,600 people during the campaign, said overdevelopment and property taxes were the key issues residents brought up again and again.

Rodrick and runningmates Laurie Huryk and Terrance Turnbach defeated Republicans Geoghegan, Louis Gallipoli and Al Manforti on Tuesday.

Manforti and Geoghegan are incumbent councilmen, while Gallipoli is a newcomer who replaced Councilman Jeff Carr on the GOP ticket.

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The only Republican who won Tuesday was Ward 1 Councilwoman Maria Maruca, who narrowly defeated challenger Anthony Colucci.

Geoghegan, who was defeated by Rodrick in the race for a Ward 2 seat, said the Democrats will find it hard to change certain policies, especially those relating to housing.

"It's hard at the council level to change state issues," Geoghegan said.

Geoghegan pointed to the state's affordable housing mandates, which long have been criticized by Toms River Republicans.

Republican council members have railed against the new affordable housing mandate, saying Toms River has provided more than its fair share of housing for low- and moderate-income residents.

Huryk said she hopes the three Democrats will be able to work well with Republican Mayor Thomas F. Kelaher and the four remaining GOP council members when they take office in January.

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"I think that it’s important to move past party," said Huryk, who defeated Republican candidate Louis Gallipoli to win the Ward 3 council seat. "We need to work together for the good of the town."

Kelaher, for his part, said he would welcome constructive suggestions from Democrats.

"I’m looking forward to working with them because I’m sure they’ll have the best interests of the town at heart," the mayor said.

But following an increasingly bitter campaign that Republican Councilman Maurice B. "Mo" Hill termed the "dirtiest" he'd ever witnessed, it remains to be seen if Democrats and Republicans will be able to find common ground.

The election sent shock waves through the political establishment of Ocean County's second-largest town, where voters long have supported Republican candidates for local office.

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The last Democrat to hold office here was former Mayor Paul C. Brush, who chose not to seek re-election in 2007.

The last time Democrats took control of Toms River's governing body was in 2003, when Democrats briefly held a 3 to 2 edge on the then-Township Committee.

But Committeeman John Russo Jr. switched to Republican in March that year after a very public split with his fellow Democratic committee members.

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The township changed its form of government in 2003 from a township committee to a strong mayor-council form. All seven council members elected that year were Republicans and no Democrat had won a council seat since.

Until Tuesday night.

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More than 1,400 housing units are either under construction or have been approved to be built in Toms River's northern sections, and at least 20 percent of the units in each of those projects have been set aside as affordable housing.

Watch the video above to see how residents of a North Dover mobile home park have been impacted by a new housing development right next-door.

The rapid development in North Dover, particularly the areas near the Lakewood border and along the Route 9 corridor, has angered many residents who live in the formerly rural area.

"That was repeated over and over and over again," Huryk said of North Dover development. "It was the primary topic of conversation. They’re very frustrated."

Ward 3, which Huryk will represent, includes much of the Route 9 corridor and the areas along the border of rapidly growing Lakewood.

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Last year, Toms River reached an agreement with a housing advocacy group that will require the township to provide 1,285 units of affordable housing by 2025.

Toms River's 1,285-unit quota is the fourth-highest in the state.

Though the agreement has been criticized by Democrats and many residents, township officials believed it protected Toms River from having to provide even more housing units here.

Had Toms River not reached an agreement with the Fair Share Housing Center, the township would have been subject to so-called builders' remedy lawsuits.

Builders who file such suits typically seek to construct more housing on a particular tract than may be permitted under township zoning laws, in exchange for setting aside a certain number of the units as affordable housing.

Geoghegan said he wishes the Democrats well as they take office.

"The people spoke," he said. "The country and state have been caught up with change. They wanted something different."

Jean Mikle: 732-643-4050, jmikle@gannettnj.com; @jeanmikle

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