Bernards Township
Bernards Township moved a 6,000.00 youth summit the Municipal Alliance paid for in 2023 onto its opioid settlement money in 2024, certified frisbees and mood pencils as drug prevention, and certified 3,507.71 less FY2026 spending than its own accounts paid.
Published 10/03/2026 · Updated 10/04/2026
TLDR
- In 2023 the Municipal Alliance trust paid Partners In Prevention 6,000.00 for the 8th grade Youth Summit Day. Four lines. 450.00, 1,500.00, 3,375.00 and 675.00.
- In 2024 the opioid settlement account paid the same vendor the same four lines at the same four amounts. The FY2024 report calls it the Township's one program.
- The FY2025 report certifies a police prevention class called Law Enforcement Against Drugs. 660.00 of it is frisbees and mood pencils. No payment went to the police or the schools.
- The FY2026 report certifies 10,046.32 spent. The accounts paid 13,554.03.
- The FY2024 report gives its encumbered money as 49.00 on page one and 45,377.00 on page three.
- The FY2025 report says nothing was encumbered. 111.97 of Amazon orders was open.
Summary
Bernards Township, Somerset County, reports receiving 189,721.95 in opioid settlement money through 06/30/2026. The national settlements list uses for the money, among them treatment, recovery, connection to care, prevention and harm reduction. The list is not exhaustive. Other documented, evidence-based programs that address the epidemic also qualify. The money must add to local spending, not replace it.
The Township keeps the money in grant accounts G-02-27-NOS-223, G-02-27-NOS-224 and G-02-27-NOS-225. It produced a Budget Transaction Audit Trail printed 05/28/2026 and an update printed 08/31/2026 that carries the accounts to 08/28/2026. It also produced a payroll distribution for the coordinator charges, vendor histories across all funds for four payees, and eight years of the Health Department salary line.
This project classifies 14,296.92 of the 29,356.93 paid as conforming, 6,660.00 as non-conforming and 8,400.01 as unverified. Read the Township's page.
What Bernards received
The Township's reports state what it received each year. It produced no receipts print.
| Report | Received in the year | Received since 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 38,287.22 | 38,287.22 |
| FY2024 | 76,376.66 | 114,663.88 |
| FY2025 | 44,735.70 | 159,399.58 |
| FY2026 | 30,322.37 | 189,721.95 |
What Bernards spent
The first payment from the accounts was check 139911 on 05/14/2024. Through 08/28/2026 the accounts paid 29,356.93 net.
| Use | Paid |
|---|---|
| Community In Crisis, Community Recovery Champion outreach | 7,500.00 |
| Partners In Prevention, Youth Summit Day facilitators | 6,000.00 |
| Deterra medication disposal pouches and cases | 4,730.00 |
| DisposeRx medication disposal packets | 1,791.00 |
| Payroll charges for the Municipal Alliance coordinator | 1,416.78 |
| Tote bags | 1,388.54 |
| Banner on the 911 Lifeline Law | 1,376.79 |
| Impairment goggles and a challenge mat | 1,286.00 |
| Crisis intervention magnets | 1,170.75 |
| Medication and pill organizers | 1,055.45 |
| Ink, labels, holders, bins and a Cricut press | 773.07 |
| Frisbees and mood pencils | 660.00 |
| Lifeline wallet cards | 87.80 |
| Vaping brochures | 71.75 |
| Drop box magnets | 49.00 |
| Total | 29,356.93 |
A fourth quarterly Community In Crisis payment of 2,500.00 and one 41.67 payroll charge were open on 08/28/2026.
The payroll charge is 41.67 each pay period. The reports describe it as the Municipal Alliance coordinator's time managing opioid purchases, projects and grant reporting. No record beyond the reports shows that time. The Health Department salary line it offsets carries Municipal Alliance offsets in every year from 2019 to 2026.
What Bernards told the State
| Report | Certified spent | Paid in the same period | Certified encumbered | Certified on hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 0.00 | 0.00 | Not asked | Not asked |
| FY2024 | 6,000.00 | 6,000.00 | 49.00 | 108,614.88 |
| FY2025 | 5,729.35 | 5,729.35 | 0.00 | 147,670.23 |
| FY2026 | 10,046.32 | 13,554.03 | 6,376.79 | 153,171.30 |
The FY2023 report certifies nothing spent. The accounts paid nothing before 05/14/2024.
The FY2024 report certifies 6,000.00 spent. That is the Partners In Prevention order for the Youth Summit Day, paid 05/14/2024. Page one certifies 49.00 encumbered. That is the drop box magnets order, paid 07/09/2024. Page three answers the same question with 45,377.00. No order in the accounts makes that figure. FY2024 report gives 45,377.00 and 49.00 as encumbered.
The FY2025 report certifies 5,729.35 spent. The accounts paid 5,729.35 in that year, 33 lines. Each part of the figure ties to its payments to the cent. FY2025 report ties to the Township's ledger to the cent. The same report certifies 0.00 encumbered. An Amazon order for sticker paper and a Cricut press, 111.97, was encumbered 06/16/2025 and paid in July and August. FY2025 report said nothing encumbered, 111.97 was open.
| FY2025 figure | Certified | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Law Enforcement Against Drugs | 1,946.00 | 1,946.00 |
| Med Drop Disposal Awareness Campaign | 3,491.66 | 3,491.66 |
| Administration | 291.69 | 291.69 |
| Total | 5,729.35 | 5,729.35 |
What the records show
The FY2024 report lists one program, the 8th Grade Youth Summit Day. Purchase order 24000782 paid Partners In Prevention 450.00, 1,500.00, 3,375.00 and 675.00 for facilitators from the Lindsey Meyer Teen Institute. The Township's vendor history shows purchase order 23000708 with the same four lines at the same four amounts, paid on 04/25/2023 from the Municipal Alliance Program trust for the summit that year. The settlement money paid in 2024 the cost the trust paid in 2023, to the cent. The report says the Health Department and Municipal Alliance have worked with the Institute for nearly 30 years. The FY2025 report says the program has ended. Moved a 6,000.00 youth summit off Alliance funds.
The FY2025 report names its first program Law Enforcement Against Drugs. It lists the recipient as the School District and Police Department and files it under Primary Prevention, Education, and Training. No payment went to a police department or the school district. JCM Associates was paid 660.00 for mood pencils and collapsible frisbees. Drunk Busters of America was paid 1,286.00 for impairment goggles, a challenge mat, a thumball, stacking cups and a carry bag. Frisbees and mood pencils are not among the uses Exhibit E lists. Frisbees and mood pencils certified as drug prevention.
FY2026
The State published the Township's FY2026 report on 10/01/2026. It covers 07/01/2025 to 06/30/2026.
The report certifies 10,046.32 spent. The accounts paid 13,554.03 in the same year. Three of the four new program figures and the administration figure tie to payments to the cent. The REACH Out figure of 2,342.19 matches no order or combination of orders. The year's payments that sit in no figure include 3,018.00 of Deterra pouches, 813.17 of DisposeRx packets and 1,388.54 of tote bags. FY2026 report certifies 3,507.71 less than the books paid.
| FY2026 figure | Certified | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Safe Medication Storage Awareness | 533.30 | 533.30 |
| Community Resource Awareness Campaign | 1,170.75 | 1,170.75 |
| Community Recovery Champion | 5,000.00 | 5,000.00 |
| Administration | 1,000.08 | 1,000.08 |
| REACH Out: By Being a Lifeline | 2,342.19 | No matching orders |
| Total certified spent | 10,046.32 | |
| Paid in the year | 13,554.03 |
The report certifies 6,376.79 encumbered. On 06/30/2026 the books held 6,448.54 open. The difference is a 71.75 brochure order encumbered 06/29/2026. Three FY2026 programs and admin tie to the cent.
The report certifies 153,171.30 on hand. The record does not show how that figure was reached.
How this project classifies spending is set out in the methodology and the rubric. Corrections follow the corrections policy.