Toms River Fire Election 2025: Candidates, Budget Information

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Voters in Toms River Fire District 1 will have the opportunity to choose commissioners and vote on the district's 2025 budget on Saturday.

The polls are open from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Information on polling places is below.

Voters will be asked to choose two people to serve three-year terms on the board of commissioners. The candidates are Anthony Cirz, James Golden, Michael Hopson and Richard Tutela.

Golden is the current chairman of the board and is running with Cirz, and both are firefighters. Golden has 33 years of service as a firefighter and Cirz has 32 years. Both have served as fire chiefs, according to the Golden-Cirz campaign page.

Tutela is the current vice chairman of the board and is running with Hopson. Tutela is a former chief of the East Dover Fire Company. Hopson's family has been firefighters, according to the Tutela-Hopson campaign page.

The campaigns accuse each other of wanting paid firefighters in Toms River — a move that has been happening in other towns because of dwindling numbers of volunteers. Neighboring Manchester Township had added paid firefighters during the day Monday-Friday because of the lack of volunteers.

Tutela and Hopson criticize Cirz and Golden over having public jobs — Cirz is a building code official in Berkeley and Seaside Heights. Golden worked for the Toms River Roads Department. Tutela works for the New Jersey Forest Fire Service, which is a paid position, and is an inspector for the Toms River MUA. Hopson works for the Ocean County Utilities Authority.

Voters also will be asked to approve the Fire District 1 budget of $8,973,990.03, of which $6,686,590.14 is raised by property taxes. The fire district tax is 5.1 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

Four other questions on the ballot ask voters to approve purchases that already have been budgeted for in previous years.

Polling locations are as follows and are based on your voting district in the November general election. Not sure which district you vote in? Check it here.

Registered voters in Toms River Township Fire District No. 1 residing in election districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 13, 14, 18, 19, 27, 34, 36, 37, 40, 54 60 and 63 shall vote at Toms River Fire Company 2, 45 West Water Street.

Registered voters in Toms River Township Fire District No. 1 residing in election districts 8
and 26 shall vote at Ocean Beach Fire Company, 40 Kittiwake Ave., Lavallette.

Registered voters in Toms River Township Fire District No.1 residing in election districts 7, 11, 12, 16, 17, 28, 31, 32, 33, 38, 39, 41, 42 53 and 57 shall vote at East Dover Fire Company, Fischer Boulevard.

Registered voters residing in election district 14 and 63 on Coulter Street, Leawood Avenue, Cayuga Court, Shoshone Court, Navajo Court, Cheyenne Court, Whitesville Road, Ridgeway Road, Branch Drive, Pueblo Court, Arapaho Court, Smokerise Lane and Iroquois Court, and registered voters in election district 37 residing on Albert Avenue, Toms River Walk, Janet Road, Parkway Drive, Marlane Road, Marbil Avenue, Glenwood Road (from 1130 Glenwood north), Lakewood Road (from 1127 Lakewood north) and Whitesville Road shall vote in Toms River Township Fire District No. 2, not in Fire District No. 1.