The Toms River Township Council voted on three affordable housing ordinances at its March 11 meeting. According to the Asbury Park Press, one passed clearly, two ended in deadlock with abstentions, and the township attorney said he needed to research whether they passed. Official minutes have not been released. The state deadline to have a plan in place is tomorrow, March 15.

How each ordinance voted out

The council considered three ordinances needed to comply with the December 2025 settlement with Fair Share Housing Center:

Zoning changes (Routes 9 and 70 rezonings, including 134 affordable units near Lake Ridge): The Asbury Park Press reported 3 yes (Aber, Coleman, O’Toole), 3 no (Ciccozzi, Nivison, Bradley), 1 abstain (Bianchini). Whether this passed depends on how abstentions are counted under New Jersey law.

Fourth round affordable housing plan (the township’s decade-long compliance framework): The Asbury Park Press reported 3 yes (Aber, Coleman, O’Toole), 2 no (Ciccozzi, Bradley), 2 abstain (Nivison, Bianchini). Same legal question.

Revised affordable housing resolutions: The Asbury Park Press reported 6 yes, 1 no (Bradley). This one passed clearly.

According to the Asbury Park Press, Assistant Township Attorney Jonathan Penney said after the vote that he would need to research whether the deadlocked ordinances had legally passed.

Why the deadlock

According to the Asbury Park Press, Council President Ciccozzi argued the votes were “illegal” because Lake Ridge residents within 200 feet of the rezoned properties said they never received the required legal notice. Bianchini said he could not support rezoning the Route 9 property — land the township acquired through eminent domain to preserve as open space — for affordable housing. Nivison asked the township’s affordable housing attorney to seek a court extension; the attorney said that was unlikely to be granted.

What the mayor says

Mayor Rodrick says his administration negotiated the township’s obligation down from roughly 1,700 units to 183 units of new construction, with the rest satisfied by extending 30-year deed restrictions on existing affordable housing. He called the council majority’s vote “reckless and irresponsible” and warned it could expose the township to builder’s remedy lawsuits allowing up to 8,000 units of uncontrolled development. After the meeting, according to the Asbury Park Press, Rodrick shared phone records showing repeated unanswered calls to council members.

What the council majority says

According to the Asbury Park Press, the council majority passed a non-binding “no confidence” resolution against the mayor by a 4-3 vote at the same meeting. During the meeting, council members raised concerns about the process and timing of the ordinances, including questions about proper public notice and the use of open-space land for housing.

What happens tomorrow

If the ordinances are determined to have passed, the township meets its settlement obligation. If not, Mayor Rodrick has warned the township would lose legal protection from builder’s remedy lawsuits — a process in which developers can ask courts to override local zoning and approve high-density housing projects.

This article covers the policy actions and legal questions from the March 11 meeting. It does not cover personal exchanges between officials during the meeting, which did not affect the votes or the legal question.

This article will be updated when official minutes or a legal determination on the deadlocked votes is released.