A police officer provides security at the April 30, 2025 township council meeting in Toms River. (Photo: Shorebeat)
A screaming match between Toms River Township council members erupted almost immediately Wednesday after the township clerk read an agenda item which called on the governing body to consider an ordinance that would allow for the acquisition of a church property and three marinas. Council members would ultimately pass the ordinance on first reading in a bitter 4-3 vote.
The marinas – including one just purchased by an investor who told Shorebeat he has already spent money to begin a round of renovations – were never meaningfully discussed, with the debate centering on the Christ Episcopal Church, which has become its own source of controversy after proposing a 17-bed homeless shelter within its facility. Neighbors, at zoning board meetings, have held that the church – surrounded by a residential neighborhood – is not a proper venue to house homeless people, and the presence of a shelter could have a deleterious effect on property values and safety. Homeless shelters are not a permitted use in residential zones, where the church is located, and residents have called on Ocean County to build a shelter in a more suitable location – a concept which the county commissioners are reportedly considering.
The church property, if acquired, would be turned into a public park, Mayor Daniel Rodrick has told Shorebeat. Wednesday’s council meeting attracted dozens of homeless advocates, many of whom coordinated online, plus several people who described themselves as being homeless or addicted to drugs and helped by the church’s outreach programs. But the meeting began – and ended – with bouts of name-calling and yelling between council members, including Councilman Thomas Nivison comparing at least one of his colleagues to Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels on multiple occasions.
Nivison motioned to table the entire matter to a future meeting, receiving a second from Councilman James Quinlisk. The vote was delayed after a screaming match broke out between Nivison and Councilwoman Lynn O’Toole. The two council members are on opposite sides of a visceral split between two groups of Republicans.
“You hate God? You hate Christ?” Nivison shouted. “Obviously, you hate homeless people.”
“What are you getting out of this, Bill?” he continued, referencing Councilman William Byrne.
“I’m doing the right thing, how about you pipe down?” O’Toole shot back.
After Council President Justin Lamb finally restored order, the vote to table failed, with Nivison, Quinlisk and Councilman David Ciccozzi voting in favor of setting aside the matter and Lamb, Byrne, O’Toole and Councilman Craig Coleman voting it down.
“This is setting up the town for another group of lawsuits, one I don’t think he knows the scale of,” Quinlisk then said, before another vote was taken to introduce the ordinance that would allow the church and marina properties to be acquired by way of either negotiations or eminent domain, if necessary.
The second vote was essentially the reverse of the first, with the same group of four council members voting to authorize the acquisition on first reading, and the same three council members opposing it. The first reading of an ordinance is merely an introduction in New Jersey, with a second vote required to adopt the measure after a mandatory public hearing is held. That hearing is expected to be held at the May 21 council meeting.
Christ Episcopal Church, Toms River, N.J. (File Photo)
Quinlisk, speaking to lawsuits, was likely referring to the potential for the church to file a federal action under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act, which has been the legal avenue some Orthodox Jewish organizations in town have utilized to successfully counter Toms River’s zoning ordinances. He noted the federal legislation applies to all religions. The church property, according to a statement from a church member, is owned by the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey rather than the local organization itself.
About a dozen homeless advocates and church members approached the microphone during a general public comment period at the end of Wednesday’s meeting – ranging from many who spoke in a conversational tone to tout the work of the church, to a few who blasted council members on the opposing side of the issue. One member of the public was nearly ejected from the meeting, but ultimately stopped calling out from the gallery after warnings from Lamb.
The meeting would, again, deteriorate into back-and-forth insults toward the end, with Nivison laying into Rodrick and his supporters on the governing body. He called four of his council colleagues “puppets” of the mayor, and warned residents not to believe mailers.
“He makes Joseph Goebbels from Hitler’s regime look like a Sunday School teacher,” Nivison said of Rodrick, leading to an uproar from the crowd.
Another reference to Goebbels, a high-ranking member of Adolph Hitler’s inner circle during World War II and propagandist for the regime, was made moments later.
The meeting calmed down after Ciccozzi delivered a more measured address.
“The only way to stop this ugliness and evilness is to get out and vote, and to know who you’re voting for,” he said. “If this happens, what’s next down the road? You see it with the downtown.”
Rodrick, for his part, did not opine on the issue, declining to speak during a short period of the meeting reserved for comments from elected officials.
Police, Fire & Courts
New ‘Aliens’ Map Shows 186 Illegals Arrested in Toms River Since 2025
