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Dover Township May Undergo Name Change
By Jo Ann La Russo
TOMS RIVER - Did you know that Dover Township and Toms River are one and the same? Dover Township is the official name of the community better known to many area residents as Toms River. Now, voters there will be given a chance to devide: Toms River Township or Dover Township?
On November 7, voters will cast ballots choosing between the two. Do they want to keep Dover as their township name, or officially change it to Toms River?
Dover Township, New Jersey's seventh largest town, is best known throughout the state as Toms River.
But is that reason enough to change a name that has been with the township throughout the whole of American history?
Some say it is. The Dover Township Name Change Committee, a group of residents, business leaders and government officials organized to bring about the change, say that want it because it will finally put an end to the confusion that has been caused by the existence of another Dover in New Jersey, a small town in Morris County.
The name change committee, headed by Mayor Paul C. Brushes and Councilwoman Maria Maruca, is hoping that residents will agree with their choice to eliminate the name Dover and officially change the name of the township to Toms River.
The Toms River-Ocean County Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), and members of Greenbriar Woodlands adult community and Lake Ridge also adult community support the name change. They say Dover Township has an identity crisis in that outside of town they are known as Toms River, not Dover Township.
"I don't dislike the name Dover," says Brush, "but the business community identifies with Toms River, not Dover Township."
The BID recently unveiled its new name, logo, and tag line for the area as part of a revitalization effort to unify the traditional downtown area and neighboring sections of Route 37.
The slogan "Downtown Toms River - Great places-familiar faces" accompanies the bright blue and white TR logo design that welcomes visitors and shoppers to the downtown shopping area.
"We lacked identity," said district chairman Frank Capone.
"We redefined Toms River's downtown," said Michael Redpath, executive director of the TRBID.
But not all agree that a name change is needed or desirable. Opinions on the issue run high. Some residents say that they see no reason to change the name from Dover to Toms River. Others say that the name change will bring the
township together.
Chris, of Toms River, said that the issue, "doesn't keep me up at night," but added that he will vote yes to the name change when it appears on the ballot November 7.
Dover resident Agnes Giarletta agreed that the name Toms River, "is what everyone is used to."
Yet township historian J. Mark Mutter says there is more than that at stake. He argued that "225 years of history would be tossed aside by eliminating the name Dover from the township."
Some opponents, such as resident Joseph Lypowy, wonder how much the name change will cost taxpayers. He said, "The truth of the matter is that nobody really knows what the exact cost would be, but I can tell you one thing, it would probably be closer to at least $1 million than the paltry figure the mayor is trying to sell us on.
Brush has contended the change would only cost about $16,000. He further claims the change could result in property tax relief for the township. The mayor contends that the identity crisis has prevented the township from attracting upscale, quality ratables.
"I'm convinced that many retailers passed over Dover Township, which is listed with over 90,000 residents, because the U.S. Census information for Toms River shows a population of only 10,000 people," he said. "Bring up our commercial ratables and we will have property tax relief."
Critics of the name-change issue scoff at the argument, however, saying there is no evidence the township would see increased ratables as a result of the change.
At the end of the day, the issue will not be decided by petitions or through the newspapers, but in the voting booth.
The question will appear on the November 7 Election Day ballot.
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