Maplewood Township
Maplewood Township's reports to the State give two figures for one salary, count eighteen months of it as one year, and once put more money on hand than the Township had received.
Published 10/03/2026
TLDR
- Maplewood Township spends its opioid settlement money on a part time crisis social worker. Its reports cannot agree on what that salary cost, or when it was paid.
- The FY2026 report gives the salary as 67,514.31. Three pages later it gives it as 66,158.08, for a year the Township said it spent nothing. Finding
- The 67,514.31 covers January 2025 to June 2026, by the report's own words. That is eighteen months certified as one year. Finding
- The FY2024 report put 94,369.93 on hand. The Township had received 71,504.83 and spent nothing. Finding
- The same report said the money pays the salary, and certified 0.00 spent. Finding
- The Township has not produced a ledger. Every figure here is the Township's own.
Summary
Maplewood Township, Essex County, reports receiving 116,402.20 in opioid settlement money through 06/30/2026. The money must go to the abatement uses the national settlements list, or to documented evidence-based programs that address the epidemic. It must add to local spending, not replace it.
The Township's reports certify 78,209.11 spent through 06/30/2026. Nearly all of it is described as the salary of a part time Crisis Intervention Social Worker based in the Health Department. The worker co-responds with police on mental health and substance use calls and refers people to services.
The Township has not produced a ledger, a bank record, a payroll record or an invoice for the settlement money. The only records on file are its four reports to the State. This project cannot test any certified figure against the books, and it does not classify the spending as conforming, non-conforming or unverified. The findings below rest on the reports alone, where their own figures cannot all be true.
What the Township told the State
The State's reporting year runs 07/01 to 06/30.
FY2023. The Township reported 19,494.98 received and 0.00 expended as of 06/30/2023, with 0.00 on administration. It described two planned programs, the part time Crisis Intervention Social Worker and the Maplewood and South Orange Municipal Alliance. Both listed their funding date and amount as "TBD."
FY2024. The Township certified 52,009.85 received in the year, 71,504.83 received since 2022, 0.00 expended, 0.00 encumbered and 94,369.93 unspent on hand. It answered No when asked whether it funded any programs. Its stated goal was "The opioid settlement funding pays for the Crisis Intervention Social Worker Program, Salary and Wages." It answered Yes to having a strategic plan and Yes to having completed a risk assessment.
FY2025. The Township certified 28,952.04 received in the year, 100,456.87 received since 2022, 5,300.00 expended, 23,652.04 encumbered and 95,156.87 unspent on hand. It reported one program, the Crisis Intervention Social Worker, funded 04/07/2025 at 37,000.00, with 5,300.00 expended and 31,700.00 encumbered. It answered "No, but we plan to in the future" on both the strategic plan and the risk assessment.
FY2026. The State published the report on 10/01/2026. The Township certified 15,945.33 received in the year, 116,402.20 received since 2022, 72,909.11 expended, 0.00 encumbered, 0.00 on administration and 38,193.09 unspent on hand. It reported three new programs:
| Program | Category the report gives | Certified spent |
|---|---|---|
| PT Crisis Intervention Social Worker program | Wraparound and Connected Care Supports | 67,514.31 |
| Bonterra Apricot Data Reporting software | Wraparound and Connected Care Supports | 3,778.40 |
| Educational material/ community outreach | Primary Prevention, Education, and Training | 1,616.40 |
| Total | 72,909.11 |
It also filed an update to its FY2023 salary program, certifying 66,158.08 expended. That figure is not in the 72,909.11.
What the reports show
The three new FY2026 programs sum to the certified 72,909.11 to the cent. The certified 38,193.09 on hand equals 116,402.20 received less the 5,300.00 and 72,909.11 certified spent. The FY2026 report adds up on its face. Its program text does not.
- The salary block says the 67,514.31 "Includes annual salary for 2025 and six months of 2026." That is January 2025 to June 2026. January to June 2025 is in the FY2025 report year, which certified 5,300.00 spent in all. Finding
- The update block certifies 66,158.08 for the same salary under the label 07/01/2022 to 06/30/2023. The FY2023 report certified 0.00 spent that year and 19,494.98 received. Counted as FY2026 spending instead, it would put spending since 2022 at 144,367.19, which is 27,964.99 more than the Township says it has received. Finding
- The software block gives a launch date of 09/01/2026, after the year closed, and reports 355 people served. The salary program reports the same 355. Finding
- The educational material block describes "Totes and pens and other educational materials" handed out at the Health Fair and other events, promoting 988, safe drug disposal and Health Department services. No invoice or order has been produced to show what was bought.
The earlier reports do not agree with each other or with themselves.
- FY2024 put 94,369.93 on hand against 71,504.83 received and nothing spent, 22,865.10 more than the Township had. Finding
- FY2024 said the settlement money pays the social worker's salary and wages. It certified 0.00 spent and answered No to funding any program. Finding
- FY2025 certified 23,652.04 encumbered. Its only program certified 31,700.00 encumbered. The first is the year's receipts less its spending. The second is the program's funding less its spending. Finding
- FY2024 said the Township had a strategic plan and a risk assessment. FY2025 and FY2026 said it had neither and planned to develop them.
What was not produced
- Any ledger, budget or appropriation record for the settlement money.
- Any payroll record showing which paychecks were charged to it.
- Any invoice for the software or the educational materials.
Until the Township produces its books, the salary figures cannot be tied to a payment, and this project does not grade the Township.
How this project classifies spending is set out in the methodology and the rubric. Corrections follow the corrections policy.