New Ward Map Shifts Sections of Silverton, East Dover, Gilford Park

The eighth time was the charm for the   , who accepted the eighth option of what the map of Toms River’s wards should look like.

The map divides the township into four wards, each of which is represented by a member of the township council.

When population shifts with each census, the ward map must be redrawn. The commissioners last met in October but finally agreed to meet Monday night in to discuss how to divide Toms River into four parts.

Township Clerk J. Mark Mutter submitted “scenario eight,” which redrew the lines for the eighth time since the process began. The map was unanimously accepted by commissioners George Gilmore, Rabbi Israel Schenkolewski, Wyatt Earp, Timothy Ryan and Mutter.

New Map Accounts for 'Potential Future Growth'

Mutter said he redrew the lines yet again after considering the potential of Ward 3, which is represented by Councilman Jeffrey Carr and stretches along Route 9 in the northern part of Toms River.

“We looked at the total acreage of vacant land in the four wards, to see where in 2020 where we’d potentially be,” Mutter said. Ward 3 had the most undeveloped land, he said.

There are 1,206 undeveloped acres in Ward 3. Ward 1, the easternmost part of Toms River, has 374 undeveloped acres. Ward 2, the center part of the township with Hooper Avenue running through it, has 719 undeveloped acres. Ward 4, which is the downtown area, has 317 acres vacant, Mutter said.

“It’s clear the future potential growth in Toms River Township is in Ward 3,” Mutter said.

Ward 3 goes from having the highest population of the four wards to having the least, to account for the potential growth, Mutter said. The wards each have to be in the range of about 20,000 to 25,000 people.

In the newly approved map, the wards’ populations are:

• Ward 1: 23,280
• Ward 2: 22,821
• Ward 3: 21,872
• Ward 4: 23,266

Each ward now has a “character” to it, Mutter said.

Ward 1 is characterized by the ocean and bay. Ward 2 is the center land mass of the township, with Hooper Avenue running through it. Ward 3 is characterized by the Route 9 corridor and Ward 4 is the area around Route 37 and the Toms River.

Changes Under New Map

Mutter said Ward 2, which is represented by Councilman Brian Kubiel, is now more compact and contiguous. The previous scenarios had Ward 2 in a shape that was less contiguous, with two portions extending into Wards 1 and 4. Under the new map, Mutter said it feels more like the geographic center section of town, such as the areas along Hooper, Georgetown, Oak Avenue and Bay Avenue.

It also moves some of the districts in Silverton from Ward 1 to Ward 2.

“Silver Bay Road is the dividing line,” Mutter said.

There’s now the northern half of Silverton, with election districts 5, 20, 55, 61.

In addition, some senior communities formerly in Ward 3 are now in Ward 2.

Greenbiar went into Ward 2. Its election districts —  43, 49 and 59 — are in Ward 2 along with Holiday City at Silverton, which is districts 15 and 22.

Ward 1 also sees some changes. The ward is comprised of the barrier island, Green Island, Pelican Island, Snug Harbor, the Bayshore, Gilford Park and waterfront East Dover and has Maria Maruca as its council person.

Election districts 16 and 32 were moved into Ward 1.

“What that does is makes all of Gilford Park, both northern and southern parts, in Ward 1,” Mutter said of the section along Route 37. The Bayshore area is also in Ward 1.

Parts west of Gilford Park, such as Money Island, from Vaughn west along Route 37 all the way to Manchester, are in Ward 4.

Ward 3’s “dominant personality is the Route 9 corridor,” said Mutter.

Areas of west and east of Route 9, north of Route 37 to the Lakewood border, now make up Ward 3.

Election districts 60 and 36 went from Ward 2 to Ward 3.

Ward 3 is the northern and northwest sections of Toms River, Mutter said.

Ward 4 goes from the area surrounding Route 37 from Vaughn Avenue and west to Manchester.

“It includes downtown Toms River and then goes up the Toms River tributary,” Mutter said.

In that way, Ward 4 is shaped like an L, making up the portion that borders Berkeley Township and Manchester Township.

Ward 4’s “dominant personality is [Route] 37 and the Toms River,” Mutter said.

Ward 4 is represented by recently appointed Councilman Al Manforti.

Criticism

Earp said the decision on the new map was delayed considerably. The previous scheduled meeting was for October 2011 and the commissioners haven't met since that night.

'We have had some difficulties to get meetings," Earp said. "But this should have been done a long time ago."

Others took issue with the map itself. The meeting was attended by less than a dozen residents of Toms River, as well as of Berkeley Township, whose map was also up for discussion last night.

“What does personality have to do with setting this new map according to election districts?” asked resident Carol Benson. The Ward 4 resident said that while the new map might make Ward 2 more compact, Ward 4 is not. She also inquired about shifts in registered voters, but Mutter said the wards are based on population, not registered voters.

However, comparing it to 2003, Ward 3 has the biggest decline in registered voters, Benson said.

The northern part of the new Ward 4 is more contiguous with Ward 3, she said.

Gilmore said the lines must be redrawn no matter how much the commissioners would like to keep them as they were.

“This board has to readjust the lines to changes in population,” Gilmore said.

Resident Nels Luthman said East Dover will see a major change in representation under the new ward map. 

"East Dover is Ward 2," Luthman said of the previous existing ward map. That changes in the new map, he said. "Ward 2 is not East Dover on this map."

"You've shifted half of East Dover out of East Dover," he said.

He also said the map is political. Luthman, a Democrat, said election district 60 was moved from Wards 2 and 4 in previous scenarios back to Ward 3. It's where recently appointed Rep. Councilman Carr lives.

Carr said after the meeting that the map is hard to draw whether looking at the township as its population shifts or as it's defined by communities and geography.

"It's complex. The township has an irregular shape already, before considering major roadways or senior communities or neighborhoods as dividing lines," Carr said. "You have population versus character...how do you figure that out?"

Carr said that while ward council members serve their constituents, they are still voting on the entirety of the business before the township council, meaning Toms River's issues often transcend ward lines no matter where you draw them.

Mutter said the motivation was the state statute that gives advice as to where ward lines should be. That means drawing them based on such things as geography, gated community and creating a compact shape.

"The word 'compact' is right out of the statue," he said.

Others said the ward commissioners — comprised of the leaders of the county Democrat and Republican clubs — are drawing a map that establishes pockets that have historically voted for one party or another.

Gilmore disagreed. "None of us here are elected officials," he said of his position on the ward commissioners and the county election board. "We're selected officials not elected officials."