Gloucester City
Gloucester City told the State it holds 296,234.12 of unspent settlement money, 36,554.02 more than it says it ever received, and has produced no ledger to show what it spent.
Published 10/03/2026
TLDR
- Gloucester City says it has received 259,680.10 in opioid settlement money since 2022.
- It told the State it has 296,234.12 of that money on hand, unspent. That is 36,554.02 more than it ever received, in a year it says it spent 26,005.45.
- The extra comes from counting the year's 62,559.47 of receipts twice.
- The only spending it has ever reported is 26,005.45 for a DARE training facility. The same report calls the facility 75% complete and just finished.
- The City has produced no ledger. Not one payment from the fund can be checked.
Summary
Gloucester City, Camden County, has filed four reports with the Department of Human Services, for FY2023 through FY2026. The State's fiscal year runs 07/01 to 06/30. The money must go to the abatement uses the national settlements list, or to documented evidence-based programs that address the epidemic.
The City has not produced a ledger for its settlement money. One is owed. This project has the four reports and nothing else. Every figure below is the City's own, read from its reports. Read the City's findings.
What the City received
| Report | Received in the year | Interest | Received since 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 65,831.48 (as of 06/30/2023) | ||
| FY2024 | 89,302.77 | 3.20 | 155,137.45 |
| FY2025 | 41,884.49 | 4.85 | 197,023.59 |
| FY2026 | 62,559.47 | 93.84 | 259,680.10 |
The four years of receipts and interest add to 259,680.10, the FY2026 figure. The FY2025 total leaves out the 3.20 of FY2024 interest. The FY2026 total puts it back.
What the City told the State each year
- FY2023. 0.00 spent and 0.00 administrative. No strategic plan and no public engagement.
- FY2024. 0.00 spent, 0.00 encumbered and 155,134.25 on hand. No programs funded. The City wrote that it was "still in the planning phases."
- FY2025. 0.00 spent, 0.00 encumbered and 197,023.59 on hand. No new programs. The City wrote, "We have not spent funds yet."
- FY2026. 26,005.45 spent, 0.00 encumbered and 296,234.12 on hand. One program, DARE Education and Training.
The cash on hand
The FY2026 report certifies 259,680.10 received since 2022 and 26,005.45 spent in the year. The earlier reports each certify 0.00 spent. On those figures the City could hold no more than 233,674.65.
It certifies 296,234.12 on hand. That is 259,680.10 plus the year's 62,559.47 of receipts, less the 26,005.45 spent, to the cent. The year's receipts are already inside the 259,680.10. They are counted twice. Counted 62,559.47 of receipts twice in cash on hand.
The DARE program
The FY2026 report names one program, DARE Education and Training. The recipient is "In house training facilities." The report certifies 26,005.45 of funding, all of it spent in the year, nothing encumbered, paid one time.
The report describes the money as a facility and equipment. It says the City "purchased equipment" for the DARE program. In one answer it says "The training facility is approximately 75% complete." In another it says "The training facilities are just finished."
The report gives the program a funding date of 3/16/2026 and a launch date of 10/13/2025, five months earlier. It reports 500 people served. It places the program under criminal justice-involved persons and first responders. Its target population is children through high school. Certified a DARE facility fully spent while 75% complete.
What the records show
The record is four reports. No ledger, purchase order, invoice or resolution has been produced. This project cannot say what the 26,005.45 paid for, whether it left the settlement fund, or how much the fund holds. The City's spending is not graded until its books are produced.