Montclair Township
Montclair Township certified T-shirts, gift cards, Hydro Flasks and North Face backpacks to the State as harm reduction, counted 83,736.71 paid after the year closed as FY2026 spending, and certified one 10,800.00 kiosk payment as spent in two different years.
Published 10/03/2026
TLDR
- Montclair Township paid its recovery contractor 35,906.71 for T-shirts, Foot Locker gift cards, pompoms, balloons and promotional tokens. It certified all of it to the State inside a contract filed as harm reduction. 28,507.40 of it is T-shirts.
- The same contractor billed 2,335.59 for snacks, candy and event dinners.
- Montclair Township's largest single non-contract purchase from its opioid settlement money is 17,007.97 to 4imprint for 200 laser engraved Hydro Flask bottles and 250 embroidered North Face laptop backpacks.
- It reported that purchase to the State inside a program filed as Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention.
- Its FY2026 report says 319,152.01 was spent by 06/30/2026. 83,736.71 of that was paid in July and August.
- One 10,800.00 check for a kiosk, written 07/14/2026, is certified as spent in FY2025 and again in FY2026.
- The FY2026 report's encumbered figure adds one contract's spending to the other contract's balance.
- Every cumulative receipts figure since FY2024 counts a 12,316.57 transfer between two of its own accounts as new money.
- The FY2026 report says both 2026 contracts came from a request for proposals with two winners. One was awarded without one. The other drew a single proposal.
The Township's four reports certify 593,374.03 spent through 06/30/2026. Its accounts paid 498,837.32.
Summary
Montclair Township, Essex County, reports receiving 1,139,914.14 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 ran the money through five accounts. Four of them paid 622,900.14 through 09/15/2026. The Montclair Ambulance Unit received 298,402.82 and Essex Health and Wellness Recovery received 250,252.68 under yearly contracts. Everything else came to 74,244.64. Two contract orders, 181,618.94, were still open on 09/15/2026.
This project classifies 22,325.79 of the spending as conforming. That is test strips, naloxone cabinets and one Narcan training. It classifies 20,441.12 as non-conforming, all of it branded merchandise and T-shirts the Township bought itself. The other 580,133.23 is unverified. Most of it is the two contracts, which mix listed uses with costs no documented program supports. Read the Township's findings.
What the Township told the State
| Year | Certified spent | Paid from the accounts in the year |
|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| FY2024 | 72,897.91 | 57,427.94 |
| FY2025 | 201,324.11 | 205,994.08 |
| FY2026 | 319,152.01 | 235,415.30 |
| Total | 593,374.03 | 498,837.32 |
The State's fiscal year runs 07/01 to 06/30. The 94,536.71 difference is two things. The FY2026 report counts 83,736.71 paid after the year closed. The FY2025 and FY2026 reports both count one 10,800.00 kiosk payment. The FY2024 report also counts two checks paid on 07/17/2024 for June 2024 contract invoices, 15,469.97. The FY2025 report leaves those two checks out, so they are counted once, in a year they were not paid. Counted 15,469.97 paid after June 30 as FY2024 spending.
Every program amount in the FY2024, FY2025 and FY2026 reports ties to the Township's payments to the cent. The figures were built from the books. The question is which payments went into which year, and what the payments bought.
The Community Outreach program
The FY2024 report lists a program named Montclair Township Community Outreach. The recipient is the Township. The primary category is Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention. It certifies 29,244.33 expended and describes the Health Department "giving out educational materials and supplies to reduce opioid related overdoses."
The figure equals thirteen payments from 08/15/2023 to 05/23/2024, to the cent.
| Purchase | Amount |
|---|---|
| 4imprint, 200 Hydro Flask bottles, laser engraved | 6,696.73 |
| 4imprint, 250 North Face Connector laptop backpacks, embroidered | 10,311.24 |
| Lochness Medical, fentanyl and xylazine test strips | 8,388.26 |
| Cornell Surgical, CPR resuscitation masks | 1,795.15 |
| Parkman and Wilkens, naloxone wall cabinets | 645.00 |
| Montclair Local News, article and survey ad | 750.00 |
| Positive Promotions, tote bags | 357.95 |
| Montclair Ambulance Unit, Narcan training | 300.00 |
| Certified | 29,244.33 |
The 4imprint order is purchase order 2301696, paid by check 18705 on 09/26/2023. The report says the Township handed out bags holding test strips, Narcan, CPR masks and educational materials at Township events.
The FY2025 report updates the program at 20,985.40. Its only description is "We are distributing harm reduction products." That figure includes 4imprint T-shirts at 1,072.45 and embroidered backpacks at 1,503.20. No listed use covers branded bottles, laptop backpacks or shirts, and no evidence-based program using them is documented. Certified branded bottles and backpacks as harm reduction.
The kiosk
The FY2025 and FY2026 reports describe a harm reduction vending machine the Township placed at Montclair State University. Orders to Longview International Technology Solutions pay for it. Order 2502374 was encumbered on 06/11/2025 for 10,800.00. Order 2602474 was encumbered on 05/20/2026 for 16,050.00. One check, 26659, paid both on 07/14/2026. The invoice on the second order is dated 03/19/2026 and bills 16 units of a monthly kiosk platform fee at 975.00 for a period stated as 04/01/2026 to 04/30/2026. No service agreement, quote or dispense record was produced.
The FY2025 report counts the 10,800.00 as spent in FY2025, a year before the check. The FY2026 report counts it again inside the 34,257.41 it certifies for Community Outreach 2025/2026. Counted one 10,800.00 kiosk payment as spent in two years.
The two contracts
The Council awarded both contracts by Resolution R-24-058 on 02/27/2024 and again by Resolution R-25-068 on 03/25/2025, each after a request for proposals that drew two proposals. In 2026 it split them. Resolution R-26-116 awarded the Montclair Ambulance Unit contract on 03/24/2026 after a request for proposals that drew one proposal. Resolution R-26-110 awarded the Essex Health and Wellness Recovery contract the same night as a non-fair and open contract.
The FY2026 report describes both awards differently. For the Essex Health contract it says "We issued an RFP with the services we wanted to provide for residents and this was one of two organizations that were approved." For the ambulance contract it says "This was one of the two successful candidates." Told the State two 2026 contracts came from an RFP.
The ambulance contract bills payroll with fringe for ambulance unit staff by percentage of time, with supplies for Narcan classes. Invoice 1525, paid 09/09/2025, adds a 25,000.00 line for a "Community Outreach Vehicle for mobile training/peer resources with Essex Health." The payment sits in the 2025 ambulance contract, which the FY2025 report filed under Primary Prevention, Education, and Training. The FY2026 update counts that contract at 118,354.15.
The FY2024 report gives the 2024 ambulance contract 0 training or education sessions. Its three invoices record Narcan classes for 40 or more, 25 or more and 60 or more students. The FY2025 report again gives the 2025 contract 0 sessions. The three invoices that make its 31,645.85 record Narcan classes for 6, 37 and 22 students. Reported zero Narcan sessions the invoices say were taught.
The Essex Health contract bills hourly staff and peer recovery specialists, client rides, rent and utilities, internet, meals, gift cards, T-shirts and event costs. Peer recovery support is a listed use. The rent, merchandise and event lines are not documented to any evidence-based program.
The invoices behind every certified Essex Health figure bill these items.
| Invoice | Item | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| June 2024 | T-shirts for staff | 120.00 |
| October 2024 | T-shirts for Montclair High School | 825.00 |
| October 2024 | Ad journal sponsorship | 950.00 |
| February 2025 | Galaxy Printing T-shirts | 5,682.40 |
| March 2025 | Foot Locker gift card for a high school student | 500.00 |
| March 2025 | T-shirts | 2,510.00 |
| May 2025 | Foot Locker gift certificate | 100.00 |
| August 2025 | Banners and T-shirts for fall athlete outreach | 2,355.00 |
| August 2025 | Balloons for football outreach | 29.80 |
| September 2025 | Pompoms, wristbands, hair ribbons and sweat towels | 724.64 |
| October 2025 | T-shirts and banners, and giveaway T-shirts | 2,915.00 |
| February 2026 | T-shirts | 11,200.00 |
| March 2026 | T-shirts | 2,900.00 |
| March 2026 | Discountmugs.com tokens for outreach | 5,094.87 |
| Total | 35,906.71 |
The FY2024 and FY2025 reports file the Essex Health contract as Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention. Certified T-shirts and gift cards as harm reduction.
The same invoices bill 2,335.59 for food and drink. That includes a 500.00 catered conference lunch, two 500.00 dinners, snacks for groups, donuts and candy for outreach. Certified snacks, candy and dinners as harm reduction.
The Township's own CustomInk order adds 857.50 of Street Team T-shirts, paid 08/11/2026. No report has certified it yet.
Asked how each contract addresses opioid use disorder through evidence-based or evidence-informed practices, the FY2025 and FY2026 reports answer N/A for both.
FY2026
The State published the Township's FY2026 report on 10/01/2026. It covers 07/01/2025 to 06/30/2026. It certifies 319,152.01 spent, 156,017.71 encumbered and 323,935.99 unspent on hand.
The accounts paid 235,415.30 in the year. The other 83,736.71 in the spent figure was paid on 07/14/2026 and 08/11/2026.
| Paid after 06/30/2026 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Montclair Ambulance Unit, check 26675, 07/14/2026 | 25,966.80 |
| Essex Health and Wellness Recovery, check 26610, 07/14/2026 | 14,134.04 |
| Essex Health and Wellness Recovery, check 26882, 08/11/2026 | 14,357.67 |
| Longview kiosk orders, check 26659, 07/14/2026 | 26,850.00 |
| Parkman and Wilkens test strips, check 26702, 07/14/2026 | 2,428.20 |
| Total | 83,736.71 |
The same report counts the June 2025 ambulance invoice and the May and June 2025 Essex Health invoices, all paid in summer 2025. On a paid basis or a billed basis, the year holds more than twelve months of contract service. Counted 83,736.71 paid after June 30 as FY2026 spending.
The encumbered figure, 156,017.71, is the 113,552.63 the report lists as encumbered on the ambulance contract plus the 42,465.08 it lists as spent on the Essex Health contract. The report lists 107,534.92 encumbered on that contract. On 06/30/2026 the two contract orders still held 275,546.06. Reported one contract's spending as its encumbrance.
Receipts
The FY2024 report lists 26,806.65 received in the year. That is the 14,490.08 budgeted in account 067 plus 12,316.57 the Township moved into account 067 from account 059 on 03/07/2024. Account 059 held money the FY2023 report had already counted as received. The FY2026 figure, 175,246.44, is the 156,497.35 opening budget of account 087 plus an 18,749.09 Walgreens credit of 06/24/2026. No revenue report was produced for any account, so the dates the money arrived are not in the record.
The 12,316.57 stays in every cumulative figure after FY2024. The FY2026 report certifies 1,139,914.14 received since 2022. The account budgets and the Walgreens credit total 1,127,597.57. Counted a 12,316.57 internal transfer as money received.
The FY2026 unspent figure, 323,935.99, does tie to the books. It is 1,127,597.57 received, less 498,837.32 paid through 06/30/2026, less 304,824.26 still committed on that date.
What should happen
The Township can return the cost of the branded merchandise, T-shirts, gift cards and food to the fund and spend it on a listed use or a documented abatement program.
The State relies on these reports to verify compliance. The Department of Human Services and the Office of the State Comptroller should examine the FY2025 and FY2026 reports and the records behind them.
How this project classifies spending is set out in the methodology and the rubric. Corrections follow the corrections policy.