TOMS RIVER – Mayor Maurice “Mo” Hill spent decades in the service, and recently looked back on how he’s been serving residents as an elected official.
He served as a member of the Township Council for 16 years before becoming mayor in 2020.
It was a difficult four years. Two months into his term, the pandemic started. That meant not only keeping first responders and others safe, but making sure businesses could survive.
The term didn’t exist in a vacuum. There were issues that panned out that were set up years – and sometimes decades – ago.
For example, Ciba-Geigy. The legacy of this company is coming to bear now, as the town is preparing to fight for the area to be preserved as open space.
There was a lot of good news that didn’t get the kind of publicity it should have, such as getting the $3 million loan from the Federal Emergency Management Agency cancelled.
In other financial good news, the town did not join the state insurance program, he noted. They shopped around and got a better deal, so they didn’t suffer the same high increases that other towns did.
He thanked a lot of staff who helped residents. He said that getting the Veterans Administration clinic moved to Toms River wouldn’t have happened without David Roberts, the township planner who retired this year.
Recreation is important for residents, and the last few years have seen the new skate park as well as eight new pickleball courts. Both Little League teams now have lighted fields.
Toms River’s residents celebrate success together, Hill said. When one school makes it to the championships, every resident cheers. When the Little League goes to Williamsport, everyone becomes a fan. These are the kinds of community features that he loves about the town.
Some big issues had easy fixes. The intersection of Whitesville Road and Route 70 was named one of the most deadly in America. He was able to talk to the State Department of Transportation commissioner and get the timing on the lights increased so that more cars can go through each time.
The most controversial issue during his tenure was probably the downtown redevelopment plans. He and other officials were concerned that the small, walkable area was losing businesses. Their solution was to build it up with apartments over the storefronts, creating built-in shoppers. They were able to link with a redeveloper who would pay for amenities like parking, bulkheading and an amphitheater.
“The downtown redevelopment – whether you like it or not – it’s needed,” he said.
Hill doesn’t talk about this much, but he has been donating township pay as a $1,000 scholarship for one boy and one girl from all four high schools (North, South, East, and Donovan Catholic). Over the course of 20 years, it’s amounted to $160,000.
“I thought it was a good investment for youth,” he said.
“I never did anything that was dishonest, or lacked integrity,” he said. “I put my head on my pillow, satisfied with my report card.”
“If God had called me during Covid,” he would have gone with no regrets, he said.
What he resents is the political climate, with the abuse that was hurled at his family during the recent election.
When he was a senior in college, he was in a car crash, and he called his father, worried that his dad was going to be upset. His father just wanted to know if he was OK and if anyone was hurt. The subtle message there was that cars can be replaced; people can’t.
He recalled the lessons of Rutgers football coach John Bateman, who taught him a lot about leadership. When winning, Bateman gave credit to the assistant coaches and the players. When losing, he took all the hits.
“Those mentors taught me a lot about leadership and about taking care of a team and of people,” he said.
Hill didn’t mind taking hits for the town. What he found inexcusable was when his grandchildren took the brunt of it, as kids in school asked questions about lies that were printed in mailers.
What’s Next?
Hill said he’s not the type of person to sit around all day, but he’ll be able to spend more time with his children and grandchildren.
“I’m not ready to downshift fully,” he said. “I’m 76 but an active 76.”
He has been one of the volunteers giving out food at the Presbyterian Church on Hooper Avenue every Friday morning over the last few years. He said he’d like to keep doing it as long as he’s physically able.
Military causes mean a lot to him, so he hopes that when the veterans clinic opens, they will need volunteers to serve.
