3 big issues facing Toms River in 2018: Administrator, budget, open space

TOMS RIVER - The political world here was upended in November when Democrats captured three Township Council seats.

Newcomers Terrance Turnbach, Laurie Huryk and Daniel Rodrick will be sworn in to their four-year terms on Jan. 2, along with GOP Councilwoman Maria Maruca, the only one of the four Republicans to win re-election.

Republicans still have a 4-3 edge on the council, and Mayor Thomas F. Kelaher is also a Republican.

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But Democrats are sure to have plenty of input on decisions made by the council, which is facing a challenging year ahead.

Here are three big issues facing Toms River in 2018:

1. Finding a new administrator. Paul J. Shives, who's been business administrator here since 2009, will retire Jan. 12. Under the township's strong mayor-council form of government, the administrator is appointed by the mayor, with the advice and consent of the council.

Mayor Kelaher had hoped to appoint a new administrator by the end of the year, but the search has gone slowly. During the campaign, Democrats criticized Shives' $223,000 salary, as well as his benefit package.

Council members from both parties are likely to balk at paying a new administrator anywhere near that amount.

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But good administrators don't come cheap. The administrator oversees all township departments and helps the mayor and department heads prepare the annual budget.

Shives was paid about $160,000 annually when he started as administrator here in 2009, after more than 14 years as Stafford's business administrator.

2. Balancing the budget. Democrats also panned the GOP's spending plans during a bitter 2017 election campaign.

Last year, the council was able to adopt a budget with no increase in the municipal purposes tax rate, which remained at 63.3 cents per $100 of assessed property value.

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This year's budget season is also expected to present some challenges. Toms River's ratable base, badly battered by superstorm Sandy in 2012, has been recovering steadily, but slowly.

To achieve a second consecutive year with no tax increase, the mayor and council will have to make some tough choices.

3. Deciding how much open space to buy. A nonbinding referendum on the November ballot asked residents if Toms River should buy up to 250 acres of property for preservation or potential recreational use.

The referendum was approved by an overwhelming margin of 82 percent to 18 percent, with 17,949 voting in favor, and 3,852 voting against it.

With residents' anger over rapid development in North Dover one of the main issues that propelled Democrats to their election win, expect the mayor and council to move forward with plans to buy more property.

Watch the video above to see how development in North Dover has impacted residents of Roberts Mobile Home Park.

The council's Land-Use Committee has already identified several parcels in North Dover that Toms River could attempt to acquire.

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Open space acquisitions are not always easy.

Over the past five years, the township has moved to acquire about 200 acres of open space.

In 2016, the council agreed to pay $10.3 million for 56 acres of land on Route 9, between Cox Cro Road and Riverwood Drive, as well as the purchase of the former West Wind Stable horse farm on Cox Cro Road for $900,000.

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Toms River has filed eminent domain actions against the owner of a portion of the Route 9 property, as well as against the horse farm's owner, as both parties have balked at the township's planned purchase of their property.

Toms River residents pay an open space tax of 1.5 cents per $100 of assessed property value. The tax generates about $1.9 million a year, according to Shives.

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