It will take 19,000 valid signatures of Toms River registered voters in 160 days to have a successful campaign to put the Recall of Daniel Rodrick on the ballot, so we must start with education of the FACTS and not the FICTION Daniel Rodrick puts in your mailboxes.

THE FACT CHECKING OF DANIEL RODRICK STARTS NOW!

  1. Daniel Rodrick is paid $75,000 of Toms River Taxpayer Money as a full-time Mayor of Toms River, though he has been a full-time teacher at Thorne Middle School in Middletown, NJ.  On December 19, 2024, he was placed on “indefinite leave of absence” by the Board of Education pending an investigation.  More to follow on whether he is fit to be an educator. Source: Toms River Patch, December 2024.
  2. Daniel Rodrick took it upon himself to utilize a Toms River Township Vehicle, the first mayor in recent history to do so, and violated Toms River Municipal Code by driving the vehicle daily from January, 2024 until his “indefinite leave of absence” to his full-time teaching job in Middletown Township. Taxpayer fuel in a taxpayer vehicle driven by Daniel Rodrick against Toms River Code. Source: Toms River Township Code 23-10
  3. In January, 2024, Daniel Rodrick spent $18,000 of Toms River Taxpayer money to send a letter to all residents of Toms River that included false salaries and pension costs of the Toms River Police Department Officers.  The letter was in support of Daniel Rodrick’s proposed cuts to the Toms River Police Department, reducing the number of Captains and officers and eliminating the Public Information Officer position.  On January 19, 2024, Daniel Rodrick fired the Public Information Officer Jillian Messina, after she spoke at the January 18th Council meeting; in April, 2024 Daniel Rodrick suspended Police Chief Mitch Little over a late administrative report; and in August, 2024, Daniel Rodrick forced Chief Little to retire or else no new officers would be hired. Daniel Rodrick has stated all of his plans are to put more EMS on the ground, especially in the barrier island, to reduce a “30 minute response time.”  According to Toms River Police Department records, EMS response time in 2023 was 7.9 minutes, EMS response time in 2024 was 8.6 minutes. Source: Toms River Township OPRA Response & Toms River Police Department.
  4. Daniel Rodrick fired or forced the resignation of over 70 Toms River Township Employees in 2024 and replaced with patronage and nepotism hires, plus painted “Mayor Daniel Rodrick” on Township vehicles, signs, buildings and flyers throughout Toms River. Source: Toms River OPRA Responses & Photos posted on Toms River Township Social Media.
  5. March, 2024, Daniel Rodrick reduced the requirements for Rental Certificate of Occupancy, hence allowing unkept properties with high grass, garbage, abandoned vehicles, chipped paint or siding requiring repairs, broken windows/screens and no fireplace/wood stove inspections.  Less requirements means more slumlords, dreadful neighborhoods and multi-family dwellings in single-family structures. The safety of children and families who rent homes in Toms River are in jeopardy due to lack of standards and precautions, hence endangering the welfare of those in the homes and the neighborhoods. Source: Toms River Township Department of Community Development.
  6. On June 6, 2024, after months of Daniel Rodrick saying to the public and the press that the “Toms River Animal Shelter is not closing,” he ordered the closing of the Toms River Animal Shelter with no agreement or plans for reopening.  All animals were forced out with animal lovers stepping forward to save the animals and all staff, with the exception of one, were fired.  This occurred 7 days after the Toms River Municipal Clerk issued a letter stating that over 3,079 signatures of registered voters were verified hence requiring, as per State Law, a referendum vote on the action to lease the Toms River Animal Shelter to the Ocean County Board of Health.  Daniel Rodrick did not allow the referendum vote to occur, violating the rights of the voters and the Toms River Animal Shelter remains closed today, with a Shared Service Agreement with Ocean County Board of Health to operate and manage in the future at the cost of the County taxpayers, including Toms River taxpayers, while Toms River taxpayers continue to pay for the maintenance of the grounds and Animal Control. Source: New12NJ, June 7, 2024 and Ocean County Superior Court L-211-24.
  7. In July, 2024 Daniel Rodrick put a stop on fire and police dispatchers routing calls to Silverton EMS stating “potential criminal financial irregularities within the organization that has been referred to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office (OCPO).”  OPRA inquiries to both Toms River Twp. and OCPO about any such complaint being filed, or request for an investigation, have resulted in a response of “No such records exist.”  With no actual investigation by the Prosecutor, Daniel Rodrick had Toms River attorney Donald Burke, the same attorney personally representing Daniel Rodrick in Middletown Township, to file suit against Silverton EMS stating “24,000 gallons of township-owned gasoline was used without reimbursement.”  Kevin Geoghegan, former Council President, Administrator for Silverton EMS has addressed the matter and stated “no agency has found any illegal activity on our end (Silverton EMS), so the next step is to drag us into court.  The claim that we used fuel for personal use is absolutely false.”  As of today, the case is proceeding, Silverton EMS remains closed and the residents of Toms River are without these vital EMS personnel. Source: EMS1, November 24, 2024.
  8. August 1, 2024, Daniel Rodrick ordered the locks changed on the Code Blue Shelter operated by Just Believe, the nonprofit overseeing the township’s Code Blue shelter.  The shelter is only used between November 1 and March 31, however Just Believe utilized the location to store supplies and meet on occasion.  Simply put, Daniel Rodrick locked out the Homeless because Just Believe CEO is a supporter of Chief Mitch Little and former Councilman Terrance Turnbach is on the Board of Just Believe.  Daniel Rodrick vendettas! Source: Jersey Shore Online, September 10, 2024.
  9. Daniel Rodrick supported and encouraged the approval of two (2) Houses of Worship in residential zones by the Zoning Board, while personally sitting on the Planning Board and voting against Downtown Redevelopment projects.  Daniel Rodrick has continued to state he was elected mayor to “kill” redevelopment! While he promoted and pushed the Council to repeal the Downtown Redevelopment Plans, he has promoted and encouraged permitting on all development in the North Dover Section of Toms River. Approximately 22 acres of construction permits were approved in 2024 by the Toms River Building Department. Source: Toms River OPRA from Planning Board, Zoning Board and Building Department.
  10. Financial irregularities of Daniel Rodrick:
    • Daniel Rodrick stated that his “administration inherited a $3.5M budgetary shortfall,” whereas his 2024 budget stated a $17,300.00 surplus. Source: Toms River Township, 2024 Budget.
    • Daniel Rodrick reduced the health insurance co-pay to the Mayor and Council from approximately 32% to 3% in February, 2024, personally saving Daniel Rodrick and Council members using the health insurance benefits thousands of dollars each, raising the cost to the taxpayers of Toms River, while staff of Toms River continue to pay the same percentage. Daniel Rodrick accepts Toms River Township insurance, whereas he could receive insurance from his full-time teaching job in Middletown Township or his wife’s full-time teaching job in Bradley Beach, where she receives a stipend for not taking insurance. Source: Toms River Township OPRA response on salary and benefits.
    • Daniel Rodrick directed the Council to purchase the Boatworks property at 1 Robbins Parkway for $1.8M, whereas the 2023 tax assessment was $925,000. Source: May 6, 2024, Market Value Appraisal Report by Henry Mancini & Associates, Inc.
    • Daniel Rodrick said in November, 2024 that he “found $2M of unused American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds” to use to provide temporary housing of the homeless. Source: Toms River Council Meeting, November, 2024.

For more information on Toms River Residents Uniting Everyone and for more information on the Recall of Daniel Rodrick, click here.