Toms River Council Primary Election 2021: Maria Maruca

TOMS RIVER, NJ — With Primary Day for the 2021 general election coming up June 8, Patch is sharing profiles of the candidates for local office.

Maria Maruca is one of two candidates seeking to be the Republican nominee for the four-year seat representing Ward 1 on the Toms River Township Council on the Nov. 2 general election ballot.

Patch asked each candidate the same questions. Here are Maruca's answers.

Your name: Maria Maruca

Age: 62

Town of residence: Toms River

Position sought: Toms River Township Council Ward 1 representative

Party affiliation: Republican

Family: Single

Education: Notre Dame HS, Lawrenceville, NJ

Occupation: Manager, Motor Vehicle Commission

Previous elective office, if any: I serve on the Toms River Council

Do you or anyone in your family work for the state, county or local governments? I do, Motor Vehicle Commission

Why are you seeking office? I enjoy public service and making a difference in my community. During my time on Council, I have been fortunate to advance many projects to improve our town and would like to see them to fruition, including: adding to the nearly 500 acres in open space already preserved on my watch, and working with our East Dover Fire Company and East Dover FAS for a centralized building on Fischer Boulevard. This would house both emergency services under one roof, and the cost can be covered with FEMA monies already earmarked for the project.

What do you feel is the most pressing issue facing the community, and what do you want to do about it? This year’s Republican Primary Election will have long-lasting consequences for our township. Overdevelopment is the number one issue facing our community and it’s extremely important that voters know the facts. As stated earlier, no one has been more instrumental in preserving open space than me during the last several years – at nearly 500 acres forever safeguarded from development. It is a top priority to add to that preservation total to protect our quality of life, limit development, and hold down school taxes in the face of attacks from Trenton.

Moreover, voters must understand the truth surrounding the recently negotiated zoning map in town. My opponent is peddling lies and scare tactics, while intentionally keeping the truth from residents. That’s not the way I operate. Honestly is always the best policy for me. Fact: Zoning for houses of worship in Toms River had always been 2 acres from the late 1970s until 2017. At that time, it was increased to 10 acres. In response, the U.S Department of Justice (DOJ), under President Donald Trump, notified Toms River Township last year that an amendment to our zoning ordinance requiring a 10-acre minimum for houses of worship was illegal and in violation of religious land-use laws.

On March 10, 2021, a formal complaint was filed by the DOJ. Prior to the complaint being filed, the Township Council consulted with the best legal experts in the field and weighed all of its options. The consensus was that the township would lose a legal fight. In fact, no town has ever successfully won in court going from 2-acre to 10-acre zoning in a case like this. Losing in court would have cost taxpayers upwards of $10 million in legal fees and penalties AND we likely would have had to forfeit all future planning and zoning decisions to a federal judge. If you don’t know, each federal judge in New Jersey is approved by Senator Cory Booker or Senator Bob Menendez. I, for one, wouldn’t trust either to run our town.

Thanks to our Township Council making the responsible decision, to go back to the 2-acre zoning, (in limited areas and not in existing residential neighborhoods) entered into a consent decree, which allowed the town to negotiate a settlement that resolved our legal issues, prevented potential overdevelopment and preserved the character of our town for years to come. The map my campaign has distributed shows the result of this fight. Nearly all of the town is off-limits for houses of worship, and certainly Ward 1’s lack of 2-acre lots and expensive land makes it an unlikely location for this kind of development.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking to serve? As your councilwoman, I will continue to fight Governor Murphy’s radical, far-left policies and protect our quality of life. My opponent, Justin Lamb, is running on a ticket with Democrats who supported Hillary Clinton and Phil Murphy. If they hijack our Republican Party, Toms River will pay a steep price. After what Trenton Democrats are doing to our schools, why would we elect similar Democrats here? Moreover, Mr. Lamb has now run for office twice and lost, and is continually questioned about whether he even lives in Toms River.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform. Taxes are always a concern. Four out of the past 5 years we were able to keep the municipal tax rate at a zero-percent increase. I will continue to preserve open space and the quality of life our residents enjoy in Toms River.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you will be effective in office? On Council I have fought to prevent municipal tax increases for four of the last five years. I saw firsthand the hardship our residents faced during Hurricane Sandy and have worked diligently to protect our bay and beach communities. I am proud to have preserved nearly 500 acres of open space and invested in beach replenishment with dune and flood mitigation. I have worked to form a Quality of Life task force, which brings all departments together to tackle problem properties and issues in the township. Most recently we preserved the former Surf Club property from development.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions? As your Councilwoman in Ward 1 for over 18 years, I believe in serving with the utmost integrity and putting the needs of the community first. I volunteer with Fulfill and Just Believe's Code Blue project. I have volunteered for the American Cancer Society and served on the board of directors of Toms River Chamber of Commerce, Jersey Shore Region Tourism, The National Alliance for Mental Health, The New Jersey Tourism Industry Association, The Ocean County Tourism Advisory Council and Ocean of Love. I am also a proud parishioner of St. Justin’s Roman Catholic Church.

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