About
My name is Justin Moran; I am the Democratic candidate running for Toms River Township Council in Ward 4.
​My professional background is in the technology and entertainment industries. In entertainment, I've written musicals (now playing in NYC) and sold television shows in Hollywood. In technology, I'm the Product Director for a real estate software company. These are not political careers... But isn't it more important to have people in office who are doers rather than people who like to hear themselves talk?
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I have no interest in career politics. I want to help build a strong community, boost the downtown, bolster small businesses, and get our kids off the internet and engaged. As a community member, I see the town's needs and want to get the job done and then pass the torch.
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If we can forget about left versus right, we can pick each other up and move forward together.
Issues
1
Downtown Development
In their current state, our downtown and waterfront are a wasted opportunity. Instead of investing in our beautiful spaces, they stagnate and fall into disrepair. Rather than redevelopment, we're dragged through million-dollar lawsuits. We need to stop the lawsuits, put the builders to work, and enrich our community. Enough politicizing our town's growth for personal gain. Everyone wants a beautiful downtown. We should spend our efforts courting small businesses and hosting community events. Wouldn't restaurants, venues, and shops do more for our community than parking lots, bail bonds, and law offices? Imagine bringing your family downtown and having a night's worth of fun available. What can a night out in Toms River mean?
2
Local Growth & Culture
There is a lot of arguing over how the town "could" grow, but one thing is for sure: it's growing. Toms River will never be rural. It's perfectly located. It's a comfortable distance from Philly, NYC, Atlantic City and soon Netflix Studios. It's an ideal commuter suburb. The town is going to keep growing. We can only guide how it grows.
Toms River has a beautiful waterfront culture. It's time to emphasize that with third places: spaces where people can gather, relax, and build community. ​We need to focus on multi-generational appeal. Spaces where our tweens, teens, and twenty-somethings can mingle safely. Where working families can spend a fun evening. Where the retired can socialize. We need to invest in bringing our community back together, face-to-face. COVID hurt our businesses and also hurt our interpersonal skills. People have become less understanding and more confrontational. But when we come together, we become a community.
4
Police Funding
So far, in 2025 there have been 12 accidents resulting in 14 fatalities, more than half of those are in Toms River, and this is still in the first quarter of the year! We haven't even gotten into beach season. How can we best support our police and safety officers to help bring down the growing number of crashes and fatalities in our county? Roles have been eliminated, responsibilities reshuffled, and positions unfilled. Our officers need the funding and resources to keep our roads safe.
5
Little League Funding
TRELL is in trouble. Enrollment is way down, costs are way up, and the time required from parents to volunteer and fundraise is higher than the demand on kids. Coaches can't get the permits they need in a timely fashion. We need to restore funding for the Little League. It's the ONE THING we're known for throughout the state. What kind of message does that send to kids about our town's priorities? And what kind of message does it send to New Jersey about who we are as a community?
3
Netflix, and New Industry
With Netflix building their billion-dollar studio a stone's throw from us, there are a few things we need to capitalize on. That's a huge industry coming to town. First, the contracts for renovating the military base into a production studio. Those have started to go out already and while some are going local, Toms River has such a huge supply of construction and contracting business we need to be front and center for those contracts. Second, as development begins most union work (construction, camera, sound, lighting) will go locally to keep production costs down. We have 4 years to build the talent to benefit from those jobs. Finally, the influx of creatives looking for a nice affordable place to live where they can raise their family and easily commute to the studio. It's how Disney made Burbank. By developing the downtown and investing in local culture we can be the next Asbury Park or Redbank.
Values
I'm running for Toms River Town Council because I believe our community deserves more than infighting and fear-based politics. We deserve vision, opportunity, and leadership rooted in common sense and decency. Toms River is a beautiful place with so much to offer, but too often progress is stalled by lawsuits, arguing, and missed opportunities. Our downtown should be vibrant, and our families supported with safe streets, thriving local businesses, and spaces to connect face-to-face. I’m not a career politician. I’m a creative problem solver who wants to build a future where Toms River becomes known not for division but for unity, growth, and smart, forward-thinking investments in our future. It’s time to replace performative outrage with honest collaboration and build a community that values education, empathy, and each other. I’m stepping up because it matters that someone does.