Two Vacancies Expected on Township Council

The council may enter 2012 with two vacancies to be filled by the Toms River Republican Club.

Coming out of the , Ward 3 Councilman won a seat as the at-large councilman. Councilman was elected to the District 10 Assembly seat.

Both will vacate their current township council spots before being sworn in to their respective new seats.

Hill isn’t going anywhere, just moving into the council seat on the council, which is one that speaks to town-wide issues as opposed to representing a particular ward’s voice on the council.

Neither councilman has submitted their resignation, but there’s no rush to do so.

“There is no specific time Greg or Mo has to resign, other than this: they must resign before they are sworn into their new office,” said Toms River Township Clerk Mark Mutter.

For Hill, the swearing in to the at-large council seat would come during the township re-organization meeting in January. The date of the meeting has yet to be scheduled, Mutter said.

For , the state Assembly organizes on Jan. 10, 2012.

The vacant council seat would be filled by the two councilmen’s political party. That’s the Toms River Regular Republican Club, as both men are republicans.

The Republican club would come forward with nominations, and the council would interview them before approving them to serve the year out.

The seats would be in the hands of voters for a November 2012 election.

Mutter said state law details the procedure on local vacancies for elected officials.

“The New Jersey Vacancy Law has a procedure established for this: Within 15 days after the occurrence of a vacancy, the municipal committee of the official's political party shall present to the governing body the names of three nominees for the selection of a successor to fill the vacancy,” Mutter said.

The council has 30 days from the vacancy to appoint one of the nominees to serve as a successor.

The process was used this year already, after Councilwoman was chosen for a Superior Court judgeship. i was appointed to take her seat on the council.

Therefore, that seat and the two others would be in the hands of voters come November 2012.

So would the seats of Councilwoman Maria Maruca and Council Vice President Brian Kubiel. Both Maruca’s and Kubiel’s terms are expiring Dec. 31, 2012.