TOMS RIVER - Councilman Daniel T. Rodrick's "bigoted conduct" during the recent Republican mayoral campaign that shows his "unfitness for elected office," according to the other six members of the Township Council, who voted to censure Rodrick and demand his resignation Tuesday night.

"It expresses our displeasure about the campaign literature," said Council President George E. Wittmann Jr. Wittmann and five other council members voted in favor of the resolution to censure Rodrick and demand that he resign.

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Of particular concern to the six other council members was an election flier sent out by the Rodrick campaign only days before the June 4 GOP primary in which Rodrick unsuccessfully sought the mayor's seat, running against former Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato and fellow Councilman Maurice B. "Mo" Hill. Hill won the race by a 500-vote margin.

Called "Toms River Tribune," the mailer was styled to appear like an actual newspaper. "Headlines" on the front page of the newspaper included "Mo Hill Gets Big Endorsement," featuring a photo of a smiling Hill speaking to Scott Gartner, an Orthodox Jewish resident of Toms River's North Dover section who is Hill's neighbor.

Hill said following the election that Rodrick was attempting to portray him as "the Orthodox candidate," to appeal to some voters' antipathy toward Orthodox Jewish residents who have moved into Toms River's northern sections. He called Rodrick's campaign literature "despicable."

A defiant Rodrick called the resolution "outrageous" and said after the meeting that he has no plans to resign. He claims he is being targeted by his fellow council members because he challenged Coronato, the candidate selected to run for mayor by the Toms River Republican Club, and Hill, who has been on the council for 16 years.

"I resent the notion that I'm someone bigoted," Rodrick said. He added, "I've never written anything bigoted or said anything bigoted."

Another mailer sent by the Rodrick campaign shows photos of a jovial Gartner chatting with Hill during a break in the same late February council meeting. "Mo Hill GETS big endorsement," the flier says.

Photos of Hill chatting amiably with Gartner and shaking hands with him are juxtaposed with a Facebook message that Gartner sent to Hill: "You'll make a super Mayor!"

The council's resolution is largely symbolic; Wittmann said the censure resolution can not force Rodrick to leave the council. Rodrick was elected in 2017 and began serving a four-year council term in January 2018. His term expires on Dec. 31, 2021.

But the resolution to censure Rodrick is a stunning rebuke of a colleague; after the meeting Councilman Brian Kubiel, who introduced it, said he doubted such a measure has ever been adopted by any previous governing body. A censure is a way for a governing body to express severe disapproval of a colleague.

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Kubiel said he was not happy that he had to vote in favor of the resolution, but felt Rodrick's behavior left the council no choice.

Rodrick voted against the resolution to censure him; it was adopted by a 6 to 1 vote. Watch the vote — and Rodrick's response — in the video above this story.

Wittmann said Rodrick's behavior could make the township vulnerable to lawsuits claiming Toms River is discriminating against Jewish residents.

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Rodrick, who won election as a Democrat in 2017, switched parties and became a Republican last summer. He now finds himself isolated on the council, denounced by both his former Democratic running mates and his fellow Republicans.

The GOP holds a 5 to 2 edge on the council.

Rodrick voted against the resolution to censure him that was proposed by Councilman Brian Kubiel following a lengthy executive session that concluded nearly an hour after the regular council meeting ended.

The photo of Hill and Gartner in Rodrick's campaign "newspaper" was taken at a February council meeting attended by a multi-faith coalition of religious leaders, who asked the governing body to denounce the Rise Up Ocean County Facebook group, which the religious leaders decried as anti-Semitic.

The council condemned "all forms of expression" that promote hate, bigotry and prejudice, but did not specifically single out the Rise Up group, whose administrators have claimed is anti-development, not anti-Semitic.

In the photo, Gartner wears a yarmulke, a cap worn at all times by Orthodox Jewish males. "House of Worship Advocate Supporting Hill for Mayor," a smaller headline reads. Gartner publicly supported Hill's candidacy.

The "story" beneath the headlines describes Gartner's lobbying last summer for the township to change zoning laws to allow construction of a synagogue in Toms River's North Dover section, where several hundred Orthodox Jewish families now live.

A zoning change enacted by the township several years ago requires at least 10 acres of property for any new church, mosque, synagogue or other house of worship.

Gartner said at the time that he and a group of Orthodox Jewish residents could sue the township if the zoning was not changed. He said that a 5,000-square-foot synagogue could be built on "two to five acres."

"The lead spokesman for that group, Scott Gartner, has thrown his support behind Mo Hill's candidacy for mayor," according to the "Toms River Tribune."

No such lawsuit was filed.

"I felt it was important for people to know that the person that Mo Hill was endorsed by wants to reduce the acreage requirement from 10 to two acres," Rodrick said. "I thought that was a zoning issue and not a faith issue."

Ciba development claims

Another "headline" on the campaign "newspaper," proclaimed "Emails Confirm Ciba Geigy Development Plan," a reference to Rodrick's contention that there is a plan to build thousands of homes on about 800 acres of the Ciba-Geigy Superfund site, which is now owned by BASF.

Other literature distributed by Rodrick's campaign declared that the "plan" would result in 6,400 homes being built on the uncontaminated portions of the 1,200-acre Superfund site.

Council members, and Mayor Thomas F. Kelaher, said such a plan does not exist. Kelaher called Rodrick's claims about the Ciba property "an outright lie."

The email was sent by Township Administrator Donald J. Guardian to Rodrick, and some others, earlier this year. In it, Guardian wrote, "we connected Jack to BASF." Jack is developer Jack Morris, whose Edgewood Properties has developed housing and mixed-use projects throughout the state.

The master plan portions Rodrick quoted refer to the BASF property as a potential redevelopment site, where mixed-use projects, which could incorporate both residential and nonresidential uses, should be encouraged.

Rodrick said the email and the master plan are proof that development of the BASF property is already under consideration.

But Hill and Mayor Kelaher have both strongly denied that's the case.

Guardian said in the email chain that Rodrick referenced that Morris had contacted the township to inquire about any future development on the BASF site, and had been told to contact BASF directly.

The BASF property — which is zoned for industrial use — is a Superfund site, and is under the jurisdiction of the federal Environmental Protection Agency. No development would be permitted on any part of the property unless the EPA agrees to remove at least some segments of the land from the Superfund registry.

Councilman Hill became exasperated with Rodrick at the May 28 council meeting (their exchange is captured in the video below), telling his colleague that "there has never been discussion of a redevelopment area at Ciba."

'Enough hatred for a lifetime'

Gartner, who is a neighbor of Hill's and did publicly support his candidacy, spoke during the public comment period of the council meeting, before the council adopted the resolution condemning Rodrick.

He said he was troubled by the tone of some of the literature distributed during the mayoral campaign, and said "it was a very difficult last two weeks" of the campaign.

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"I think there has been enough hatred in this area for a lifetime," Gartner said. Before the executive session, Gartner spoke at length with Rodrick in the council meeting room; he said after the meeting that he hopes Rodrick "turns a negative into a positive."

A Facebook group founded by Gartner and his family, Love Thy Neighbor USA, is one of several Toms River organizations that are attempting to promote understanding and build connections among the diverse groups that make up the Toms River community.

Rodrick insisted after the meeting that he was being targeted in retaliation for bringing to light issues like the potential North Dover zoning change and development on the Ciba property.

He also pointed to inflammatory literature distributed by previous council campaigns, including that of Democratic Councilwoman Laurie Huryk, who in 2017 was his running mate.

Rodrick cited a campaign mailer issued by Democrats that features a smiling photo of Huryk's Republican opponent, Anthony Gallipoli, next to several piles of money, and a reference to the GOP campaign receiving donations from an engineering firm and a planning firm that work for the township of Lakewood.

"Keep Lakewood money ... out of Toms River!" the flier proclaimed.

But Wittmann said there's a big difference between the Democrats' fliers and the mailers from Rodrick's campaign; Rodrick was not a candidate, but instead was an elected official at the time his campaign literature was released. That means his actions could negatively impact the township, Wittmann said.

Planning Board member resigns

Earlier in the night, Wittmann read a letter to the council from Planning Board member Heather Barone, who resigned from the board after posting remarks critical of Hill and the support he received from some members of the township's Orthodox Jewish community during the election.

Barone, who also resigned Tuesday from the Ocean County Library Commission, unsuccessfully sought a council seat in the June 4 GOP primary. She ran as an independent Republican, and was not part of any slate.

Following her election loss, Barone posted several comments critical of Hill and Orthodox Jews on her official campaign Facebook page, "Heather Richards-Barone for Toms River Council."

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"Thank you all that actually voted," Barone wrote. "Not a chance we had against the money Mo Hill had and team had from the Orthodox vote and money. So you got what you voted for. Goodbye Toms River!"

"Look into #Demo2019" Because #HillLotanoKoppGeogheganAreBought" Barone added. The post includes a typo, as an additional post indicates Barone, a Republican, is urging residents to vote for Democrats in November.

Barone's posts imply that Hill and his running mates were "bought" by Orthodox Jews; an additional post on her campaign page read, "Orthodox hate me. Love Mo Hill and team. That's why I (sic) everyone to look Democrat."

The idea that Jews use money to buy political influence is a common stereotype. Barone has since deleted the Facebook posts.

Council members had planned a vote to remove Barone from the planning board had she not resigned Tuesday.

Barone apologized for the wording of her post-election comments in her letter, but said she "firmly stands behind the reasons" for her posts. She claimed she and her family have been repeatedly "harassed" and "stalked" since she was appointed to the board by Mayor Kelaher about two years ago.

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Barone said she's been "personally harassed, stalked, and verbally attacked prior to and during this election process and it is something I have learned to adjust to. However, now after the election these occurrences have taken a very serious turn to include tactics that put into jeopardy the well-being and safety of my children and for that reason I must resign, effective immediately, from the Toms River Planning Board."

Jean Mikle covers Toms River and several other Ocean County towns, and has been writing about local government and politics at the Jersey Shore for nearly 35 years. A finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in public service, she's also passionate about the Shore's storied music scene. Contact her: @jeanmikle, 732-643-4050, jmikle@gannettnj.com.