Berkeley Township Police Dept. body cam footage shows off-duty Toms River officer Rebecca Sayegh being arrested after allegedly assaulting her ex boyfriend and his new girlfriend.
- A recent Toms River Township Council meeting was marked by profanity and name-calling between the mayor and council members.
- Mayor Daniel Rodrick and the council majority are all Republicans but are split into opposing factions.
- The political infighting stems from disagreements over issues like bill payments, affordable housing, and the mayor's use of a township car.
TOMS RIVER -- Once again, a Toms River Township Council meeting plunged into a series of name calling and profanities, as Mayor Daniel Rodrick and his opponents in the council majority battled how the township pays its bills, affordable housing and other issues.
Rodrick called Council President David Ciccozzi a "f------ idiot" at one point in the March 25 meeting, and called the bloc of four council members who oppose him "morons," according to NJ.com.
Rodrick and all seven council members are Republicans, who have long dominated the township. But the local party has been bitterly split into factions in recent years. Rodrick and his allies were ascendant after he rode a wave of anti-development fervor to victory as mayor in 2023, but in the 2025 Republican primary, his opponents struck back, gaining what would become a 4-to-3 council majority after the November general election.
However, the mayor can veto council votes, and five votes are needed to override vetoes. Thus the council meetings have become more acrimonious since the start of 2026.
For example, two weeks ago, in a fight over the township's obligations to provide affordable housing, Rodrick called his opponents "cowards" while Councilman Tom Nivison told the mayor, "You do not exist in my world."
Both the mayor and the council majority have accused each other or ignoring pleas to discuss how the township should handle it affordable housing obligations.
At the meeting on March 25, the mayor ripped into a resolution the council majority said was designed to give the council greater oversight into how it pays its bills. Rodrick said it would cause delays and could lead to township employees not getting their paychecks on time.
After initially approving the resolution, the council pulled it back, saying it needed to be adjusted to avoid any adverse effects. Chief Financial Officer Dorothy Gallagher had warned it would cause trouble for her office.
The two factions have fought over multiple issues, such as the mayor's use of a township car for commuting to his job in Irvington and the mayor arguing members of the Municipal Utilities Authority should not get access to health benefits.
The township also faced a recent legal setback when a judge ruled the Township Council's repeal of downtown development plans fell shot of the needed votes.