Toms River School Board Candidate Forum Oct. 25

A contested race for Toms River School Board will see candidates explain their positions on issues affecting taxpapers and the regional school district, at a candidates' forum Oct. 25.

The League of Women Voters of Ocean County is hosting the forum, held on 7 p.m. Thursday Oct. 25 in the Ocean County Freeholders Meeting Room, 119 Hooper Avenue, Toms River in Room 119 on the first floor.

The forum is expected to take place 7 to 9 p.m.

Sheila McVeigh, President of the League of Women Voters of Ocean County, said the format is similar to last year's forum, in that it will be moderated and answers will be timed.

McVeigh said each of the candidates has agreed to attend.

Toms River Regional has two seats for the regional board and one seat for South Toms River up for grabs this year.

Vying for the two Toms River Regional seats are incumbents Gus Kakavas and Jack Reuther. They face three challengers: Charlotte Ford Spillane, and two running as a slate, the "Clean Slate" candidates of Joseph Torrone and Ginny Rhine.

The South Toms River seat will have voters in that borough choosing between longtime incumbent Jamie Jubert and challenger Gigi Esparza of the Clean Slate team.

The format of the forum: a lottery will be held to determine the order of speakers for opening statements and the reverse order will be used for closing statements, each of which will be 2 minutes in duration. The audience will be permitted to ask questions (either by stepping up to the microphone or by submitting the question on an index card).

Candidates will have 1 minute to respond to questions. The League will provide both the moderator, Gail Marsh Saxer, and a timekeeper. The moderator will determine whether or not a question is appropriate.

"The forum will center only on the issues—not personalities," McVeigh said.

Last year's forum packed Room 119 of the county building. Then, eight new candidates competed for three seats.