TOMS RIVER – Some members of the Ocean County Health Department said that the Toms River Animal Shelter was going to be shut down, so they will enter into negotiations to take over operations of it.
The issue has been a heated one in town, as residents have fought for it to remain open and continue to be run by the town.
While Mayor Daniel Rodrick has said continually that the shelter was not shutting down, board of health members had a different take on it.
“We did not seek this out,” Board of Health member Senator Robert Singer said. “Toms River came to us” and said they were going to close the shelter so the county decided to take it on.
“Basically, they’re going to close the facility,” said Board Chair John “Jack” Mallon.
On the Board of Health’s agenda was a resolution that would allow them to enter into negotiations with Toms River for taking the shelter over.
Board of Health member Maurice “Mo” Hill made a motion to table the resolution. He said it should go to a referendum so residents can vote on it. No members of the Board seconded his motion so it didn’t go anywhere.
The shelter was built in 2014 and Toms River is still paying off the bonds on the building – similar to a homeowner still paying their mortgage, he said.
Finances
A resident had left $1 million in their will to the shelter, and residents have asked what will happen to that money.
Mallon said his understanding is that the money has to be used for the care of animals in that Toms River shelter.
Toms River Business Administrator Jonathan Salonis spoke before the Board of Health saying that there is no funding for the shelter in the budget.
“Quite frankly, the township should not be in the business of running a shelter,” he said.
The Toms River Times reached out to Mayor Rodrick after Board of Health members said that Toms River asked them to take over the shelter first. He provided this statement:
“This is both a moral and financial issue. If the county didn’t take it over, we wouldn’t have had the money to continue operations. We inherited a $3.5M budgetary shortfall and lost $3M in American Rescue Plan funds. The money that was left for the shelter would have run out within a year, and I do not believe the intent of the deceased was to pay our employees. I’m sure she would have liked to see that money being spent on bettering the lives of animals, and that’s what the county will do. The deceased also left a substantial amount of money for the county shelters. So when we transfer that over, I believe it is what she would have wanted. As I said, they are going to invest heavily in the shelter.”
To clarify, American Rescue Plan funding was only for specific things, not a continual form of income. Rodrick has been critical of the previous administration for relying on this to balance the budget.
The mayor’s budget for 2024 has no increase in taxes.
Toms River Councilman David Ciccozzi said that there is millions of dollars in surplus that could be used for the operation of the shelter.
According to a financial statement at the end of 2023, there was $47,381,086.22 in surplus.
“The people of Toms River want to keep this shelter,” he said. “These are God’s creatures and we want to take care of them.”
Rodrick later explained “Surplus is more properly called Reserves and we can’t just arbitrarily dip into that or it will hurt our bond rating and cost us millions in higher interest rates. We have to keep our Reserves where they’re at.”
Toms River Councilman David Ciccozzi asked the County Board of Health to let Toms River retain control of the animal shelter. (Photo by Chris Lundy)
County Finally Speaks
While there had been much debate in Toms River about the shelter situation, county representatives kept their comments to a minimum. During a Board of Health meeting where there were members of the public, these officials took the chance to talk about it, particularly addressing how the county shelters have a higher euthanasia rate than Toms River.
Daniel Regenye, the county’s Public Health Coordinator, said that “it is the opinion of the Board” that all five of the animal facilities in the county are necessary. This includes the two that they run, the Toms River one, Popcorn Park, and Jersey Shore in Brick.
The health department is not opposed to taking Toms River on, but they still have many questions on how it would work.
Additionally, the county would only be taking on the shelter, not the animal control aspects. That is something Toms River would have to handle.
Currently, shelter staff take care of that. A move to outsource that was shut down recently.
The county purchased a kennel in Barnegat years ago and uses it for overflow, Regenye said.
If the county does take over the Toms River shelter, they will operate it with the same professionality and care as they do the two facilities they currently run.
Ocean County was approached by Toms River months ago, he said. If Toms River wants to close it, and the only solution is to take it on, then the county will do so. The county is extremely proud of the hard work and compassion that the county shelter workers exhibit.
Singer said the county has $1.5 million allocated to the facility.
“We don’t euthanize healthy animals,” he said. There’s an overflow facility if needed.
Regenye said that the county does not turn other animals away. They take them in as an emergent situation in a limited basis and find them an appropriate rescue as soon as possible that can care for the animals.
Petition
There are currently Toms River residents collecting signatures on a petition to keep the shelter under Toms River control. They are under the “Toms River Residents For Transparency” Facebook page. They started their work after the Toms River Township Council approved an ordinance to enter into discussions with the county.
They need to get 3,079 signatures. If they do, they will send the ordinance back to the council. The council will have to either rescind the ordinance or put the matter to voters in November.
Board of Health President Mallon said there is a provision in the Board of Health resolution that if the petitioners reach their number, then the Board of Health resolution will be tabled.
Toms River resident Liz Dorick noted how Toms River might only be one of the few towns that have their own shelter, but why is that a bad thing? That just might mean that Toms River is ahead of the curve.
Toms River resident Michael Cohen, who works at the shelter, said that the contract as it is currently written, states that if the county doesn’t plan on operating the shelter in the same manner, then the town could take it back. Since the county doesn’t take on animals besides dogs and cats, they would be in violation of the contract the day it is taken over.
Senator Singer said that the Toms River shelter is not licensed to take on other animals. The county has let it go, but they are technically not allowed to do that.
Cohen responded that the Toms River shelter staff is the front line in interacting with animals but didn’t get much farther because the senator interrupted and told him it is not a debate.
Regenye noted that just because Toms River offered a lease agreement, that doesn’t mean this is the contract that they will sign. The resolution allows the county to sign “a lease” – not necessarily this one.
Toms River resident Paul Williams asked the Board of Health how they could vote on entering into a lease agreement if they don’t even have a set agreement.
Toms River resident Thomas Fredella said that there are other revenue generating things that Toms River could do to keep the shelter but those ideas have not been listened to.
“The contract is garbage. I know this is not the contract that will be final. But this is what you are voting on today,” he said.
“To build a great community, you have to invest in your community,” Toms River resident Carlos Almanzar said.
Toms River resident Irene Watson asked what improvements the county would make if they took it on. Mallon replied that they would build a dog run. Any other plans would come after county officials got a good look at it.
When she asked if current employees would be hired by the county, Mallon replied that they would all be interviewed and screened to see if they fit in with the county.
The county shelters are staffed 24/7, he said.
Regenye added that the county has a full time veterinarian and others on contract to respond if needed.
Watson asked to clarify the county’s euthanasia policy. There had been a lot of debate over whether the county will euthanize if the shelter is full.
“Yes, they sometimes get full,” Mallon said. They euthanize if the animals are aggressive or sick, or based on the state laws for how long they can keep animals.
Mallon also said that the Toms River shelter brings some animals that need to be euthanized to the county to do it.
The Board of Health members who voted “yes” on the resolution were Dr. Avinash Gupta, Dr. Theresa Kubiel, Veronica Laureigh, Ruthanne Scaturro, Sen. Robert Singer, and John Mallon. Hill was the only “no” vote. Jennifier Bacchione and Henry J. Mancini abstained.
Bacchione offered to residents concerned about the county’s care of animals that they should take a tour of the facilities.
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