On February 27, 2024 Phil Stilton reported on his own Shore News Network that “amid chaos inside Town Hall in Toms River, tempers flared, as Phil Stilton, the public information officer and police information officer was allegedly seen yelling at Business Administrator Jon Salonis and Township Attorney Peter Pasquerella. Well, at least that’s the story going around town, today, but I sort of know somebody inside Town Hall who knows exactly what happened. That person is me.” You can read about the incident and the “relationship” between Mayor Daniel Rodrick and Phil Stilton in his own words, that included a major firestorm and disagreement that ended with “Shut up and do your job or you’re fired” essentially. When Phil Stilton left on that day, locked out of the computers, locked out of Town Hall, he did not quit and didn’t know if he was fired; the ball was in the mayor’s court in his mind and “the people of Toms River deserve better than what they are currently getting.”
Fast forward, to this past week, not one, but two Toms River stories on Shore News Network (though there have been others since February) that a complete re-connection by Shore News Network and Phil Stilton with Toms River Township and Mayor Daniel Rodrick. Wednesday night, July 24, Shore News Network was live at the Toms River Concert and Fireworks Sponsored by Mayor Daniel Rodrick; July 28, Shore News Network touting the Toms River Budget with a 0% Tax Increase for 2024 with major misrepresentations (there is no $3M shortfall) and restating his cutting of the Toms River Police Department; and a July 27, Shore News Network article calling Toms River a “Family Entertainment Destination.” If the article wasn’t published by Shore News Network, you would have thought it was “Presented by Mayor Daniel Rodrick.” Phil Stilton and Mayor Daniel Rodrick are back!
We have been able to not only determine that Toms River Township records state that Philip Stilton was reported as a “Terminated Employee” as of March 31, 2024, however on May 17, 2024, he received a $1,730.75 paycheck for 35 work hours. In addition, an April 23, 2024 Consulting Agreement between Shore Media and Marketing, LLC and the Township of Toms River, commencing April 10, 2024 and extending through December 31, 2024, for “media consultant services to the Township of Toms River at the rate of $3,666.00 per month for 12 month period” ($8 below the $44,000 requirement to get Council approval). The agreement obtained via OPRA has the signatures of Peter Pascarella, Esq. as Asst. Township Attorney and the “Honorable” Daniel Rodrick as Mayor. The agreement is provided below.
Forget requesting transparency from the Rodrick Administration, can we just end the deception, games and corruption?! Rodrick’s Rules of Chaos may benefit Daniel Rodrick, but it is the tax payers of Toms River who are paying; the Concerts, Fireworks, Movies in the park and stories of spray parks on the waterfront are just more games of deception of a person without a plan other than “bad plans.” Councilmen Quinlisk and Ciccozzi knew it; Councilman Nivison now knows it; we can only hope that Council members Coleman, Lamb, O’Toole and Lobman literally wake up before it is too late. These are the facts!