Toms River Councilman Justin Lamb today blasted fellow Councilman Jim Quinlisk over his newest series of attacks on Toms River residents living on the Barrier Island.
“The people of the First Ward have been crying out for 24/7 ambulance service for years,” Lamb, who represents the first ward, said in a statement. “I’m going to keep fighting for it, I’m not going to be quiet about it, and this council is going to deliver it whether Jim Quinlisk likes it or not.”
Lamb was referring to Quinlisk’s disturbing outburst at the April 11 meeting of the Township Council when he mocked the idea of funding “the ambulance that’s desperately needed on the island — and I say that a little sarcastically” before telling Lamb to “Shut the hell up.”
“The people of the First Ward shouldn’t be treated like the red-headed step children of Toms River and they shouldn’t be told to shut the hell up by Jim Quinlisk,” Lamb said. “There’s nothing funny or sarcastic about life and death emergency services.”
Quinlisk has gone to great lengths to undermine Lamb, Mayor Rodrick and the council majority who were elected with a mandate to deliver around the clock ambulance service to every resident of Toms River and is now working to sabotage a shared services agreement for EMS coverage with the Barrier Island communities of Seaside Park, Seaside Heights, Berkeley Township, and Lavallette.
“Barrier island residents need and deserve EMS services 24 hours a day, seven days a week all year long,” Lamb said. “It’s insulting to offer life-saving EMS services to visitors during the summer but to withhold them from year-round resident-taxpayers.”
Lamb said his constituents have come to Ward meetings and Council meetings for years asking for the same quality, life-saving emergency services that the rest of Toms River enjoys but said they were ignored and ridiculed.
“Quinlisk, one of Mo Hill’s last remaining disciples, is playing politics with people’s lives,” Lamb said. “The previous administration ignored us, but Mayor Rodrick is delivering on his commitment to serve the people of the barrier island equally. I’m grateful for that.”
Lamb said Quinlisk should spend less time desperately trying to keep massive overdevelopment and wasteful spending projects on the books and more time delivering basic government services to the taxpayers.
“Month after month Jim continues to fight for the over-development projects that were soundly rejected last year,” Lamb said. “Let’s move on and get a full-time ambulance to the Beach ASAP.”
Lamb also thanked Mayor Rodrick and his council colleagues for supporting the new ambulance for the island and jumpstarting plans to fund a shared ambulance service with the other Barrier Island communities.
He called on residents of the Barrier Island to attend the next council meeting on Wednesday, April 24, 2024 at 7:00PMto support year-round EMS coverage.
Lamb seems like a decent guy. Toms River is finally getting their act together. Get rid of Jim Q.
Lamb is a hack. If Lamb is talking he is lying. This is more propaganda from the Rodrick regime.
I continue to be amazed at the reactions evident when decisions are made by the new council. If it’s not something that agrees with the decisions made by the last administration it is horrible, dangerous and biased. We in Toms River are fortunate enough to have a single party in all seats. Unfortunately some wish to continue to fight as if we are unfamiliar with the Republican members being in charge. This public fighting can do no-one any good and only makes things that much more difficult to offer or provide. I take pride in my responsibilities and came to the seat with a true intent of obtaining several changes. At this time we have completed 2 of the 3 major changes I hoped for. They are, elimination of the drastic Code enforcement, providing an ambulance coverage for the barriers and elimination of a high-rise in our downtown seaport community. The High-riser is next.
Councilman Lobman, people have to come to meetings to voice there concerns with the decisions being made by the new Mayor and council because they are very valid concerns, even if you may not think so. As far as the EMT issue goes, the issue that citizens have raised is that the mayor has cut the number of police officers to find it when he has not explored all other options.