TOMS RIVER, N.J. — If you live in Toms River, you’re not going to have to worry about your municipal taxes increasing this year.
Toms River Mayor Dan Rodrick announced that the township’s 2025 municipal budget will include a 0% increase in property taxes — the second straight year under his administration to do so.
This year, Rodrick, was able to keep taxes flat for residents through several cost-cutting measures, including the elimination of redundant and unecessary positions in town hall.
Mayor Rodrick emphasized that municipal spending has not only remained flat but has actually been reduced.
“It means municipal property taxes will not increase,” Rodrick said, noting that any change in residents’ tax bills would be due to school or county adjustments.
Key Points
- Toms River’s municipal budget will include no property tax increase for the second year in a row.
- Payroll spending has been reduced by $5.5 million since Mayor Rodrick took office.
- Cuts were made to what the administration deemed “unnecessary” positions.
Payroll slashed by over $5 million
Mayor Rodrick revealed a major reduction in township payroll, dropping from $55.8 million to $50.3 million since he assumed office.
“We’ve cut about $5.5 million in payroll,” he said, attributing the reduction to the elimination of positions considered redundant or unnecessary.
“Anything that was unnecessary that we deemed to be unnecessary, we eliminated,” Rodrick explained.
He described the approach as a proactive effort to reduce government size and cost.
“We were doing D.O.G.E before doge was cool,” he added.
Rodrick’s administration has focused on budget-tightening strategies to avoid raising municipal taxes while maintaining essential services. The budget plan has received positive reactions from residents concerned about rising living costs as energy and food costs continue to remain high for many.
“Nobody in government is giving the people the relief and breathing room they need,” the mayor said. “Most surrounding towns are seeing tax increases this year, be it through their schools or municipal taxes. At least at the municipal level, Toms River residents don’t have to worry about their municipal tax bill going up this year.”
Cuts draw support and criticism
While the mayor’s cost-cutting measures have garnered praise from some corners of the community, others have questioned the impact of staff reductions.
Rodrick acknowledged the scrutiny, noting, “So many people, they’d rather attack the person doing it rather than what was wrong with the system beforehand that they’re fixing. Many of these jobs were created at one time or another to give a well-connected political friends or family members a job. Usually, a job that wasn’t needed and just created on the fly by past administrations going back 30 to 40 years. Before me, everyone promised to cut those jobs during the campaign, but I am the first mayor to actually do it.”
The 0% tax increase does not apply to school or county tax components, which are managed separately. Residents may still see changes on their overall tax bills depending on those figures.
This marks the second consecutive year Rodrick has proposed a budget without a municipal tax increase, a rarity in local government finances. The administration says it will continue to assess operations for further cost-saving opportunities.
Looking ahead to long-term budget planning
As Toms River prepares for the rest of the fiscal year, Rodrick’s office plans to monitor the effects of the budget cuts and evaluate further efficiency measures. The goal, according to officials, is to keep costs down while ensuring core services are not compromised.
Municipal departments have been asked to operate within reduced budgets, with continued oversight from the mayor’s office. No major service reductions have been announced as a result of the payroll cuts. No services have been affected by the cuts.
In fact, Rodrick touted the police department staffing remaining the same for patrol officers, and he was able to hire eight new police department EMS officers, putting more ambulances on the road, including extra coverage for the barrier island communities.