Montville Township
Montville Township certified a police staff counseling fee to the State as opioid treatment, moved that fee off the police budget, and reported 25,000.00 of police crime analysis software upkeep as drug data for its Health Department.
Published 10/03/2026
TLDR
- Montville spent nothing from its settlement fund until 03/10/2026. Since then it has paid 31,295.00. 26,545.00 of it went to the Police Department.
- The first payment was the 2026 fee for a police employee counseling program. The police budget paid the same fee for the last four months of 2025. The FY2026 report certifies it as opioid Treatment and reports 0 services provided.
- Both purchase orders say why the police bought the program. It was a "new requirement for accreditation."
- The largest payment, 25,000.00, is the 2026 maintenance fee on Peregrine police crime analysis software. The Police Chief wrote that the department bought it in 2025.
- The FY2026 report counts the Peregrine order as encumbered and says it provides drug data to the Health Department and the ARRIVE Program. No record shows any drug data, dashboard or overdose program.
- Three reports in a row add the same 9,067.26 to the unspent money the Township says it holds.
The two school speakers, 4,750.00, are the only payments that reach students. Their orders say only Living Lessons Speaker.
Summary
Montville Township, Morris County, reports receiving 179,019.20 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 settlement account, 6-01-55-008-043, shows 31,295.00 paid and 2,200.00 open through 09/01/2026. Every payment falls in 2026.
| Payee | Purchase | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Concern Employee Assistance | 2026 annual fee, police employee assistance program | 1,545.00 |
| MurphsElite Training Systems | Living Lessons speaker, Lazar School | 2,500.00 |
| 525 Foundation | Living Lessons speaker, Lazar School | 2,250.00 |
| Peregrine Technologies Inc | Police crime analysis software, 2026 maintenance | 25,000.00 |
| Paid through 09/01/2026 | 31,295.00 | |
| L.E.A.D. Inc. | Elementary school level 3 materials and shipping, open | 2,200.00 |
This project classifies the Concern fee and the Peregrine payment, 26,545.00, as non-conforming. The two speakers, 4,750.00, are unverified. Only the State report describes their content. The L.E.A.D. order, still open, is unverified.
What the Township told the State
The FY2023 report certifies 28,889.91 received and 0.00 spent. It says the Township would likely give its funds to Morris County because the County has established programs.
The FY2024 and FY2025 reports certify 0.00 spent, 0.00 encumbered and no funded programs. The books agree. No settlement account paid anything before 03/10/2026.
The FY2026 report, published by the State on 10/01/2026, covers 07/01/2025 to 06/30/2026. It certifies 30,060.98 received, 6,295.00 spent and 25,000.00 encumbered. It names the Township Administrator and the Police Chief as the officials who decided how to spend the money. The 6,295.00 is three payments, the Concern fee and the two speakers, to the cent. Each program block ties to its payment.
The counseling fee
The Concern Employee Assistance Program is run by Atlantic Health. The Montville Township Police Department signed an agreement for it, effective 09/01/2025. The Chief of Police signed for the Township. The agreement charges an annual fee of 1,545.00 plus 489.25 per case. The proposal behind it covers about 50 police employees and their household members. It offers short-term counseling for family and marital conflict, stress, legal and financial issues and career coaching.
Both purchase orders give the same reason for buying it. "New requirement for accreditation."
| Record | Account charged | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice 4725, 08/29/2025, annual fee prorated for September to December 2025 | Police professional services, 5-01-25-240-205 | 515.00 |
| Check 46112, 02/10/2026 | Police professional services, 5-01-25-240-205 | 515.00 |
| Invoice 4767, 01/20/2026, 2026 annual fee | Settlement account, 6-01-55-008-043 | 1,545.00 |
| Check 46264, 03/10/2026 | Settlement account, 6-01-55-008-043 | 1,545.00 |
The 515.00 is four months of the 1,545.00 annual fee. The police budget paid the first year. The settlement fund paid the second. Moved a police counseling fee off the police budget.
The FY2026 report files the fee as a new program under Treatment, with the Schedule B strategy First Responders. It describes mental health services for officers who responded to opioid related deaths. It reports 41 people served and 0 services provided. Exhibit E's Treatment uses are treatment for opioid use disorder. No opioid use disorder treatment through the program is documented. Certified a police staff counseling fee as opioid treatment.
The crime-mapping software
On 12/29/2025 the Police Chief wrote to the Business Administrator asking for settlement money. The memo states that "the police department purchased a crime mapping software called Peregrine in 2025." It asks for 25,000.00 to pay the maintenance fee for 2026.
The memo proposes a dashboard for the Health Department and the ARRIVE program. It would map ARRIVE responses, naloxone reversals, overdose deaths, drug arrests and citizen complaints about drug activity. It cites Schedule B H.5, which covers expanding, improving or developing data tracking software for overdoses and naloxone revivals.
Purchase order 26-01400 to Peregrine Technologies Inc is described on the account as POLICE CRIME ANALYSIS. It was first encumbered on 06/26/2026. Check 46954 paid 25,000.00 on 07/02/2026.
The FY2026 report certifies 25,000.00 encumbered. That is the Peregrine order to the cent. None of the report's three program blocks describes it. Only the goals answer names it. It says the Township provides drug related data to the Health Department and the ARRIVE Program, per the Peregrine Technologies Program.
The books show the annual upkeep of a police crime analysis system. No record produced shows the dashboard, any drug data given to the Health Department or the ARRIVE Program, or any overdose program using the software. No listed use covers police crime analysis software. Certified police crime software upkeep as drug data.
The produced settlement accounts show no payment in 2025. The 2025 purchase record and the account that paid it were not produced.
The unspent balance
Each report since FY2024 states unspent money on hand equal to its own received total, less what it spent and encumbered, plus exactly 9,067.26.
| Report | Received since 2022 | Spent | Encumbered | Unspent reported | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 104,608.17 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 113,675.43 | 9,067.26 |
| FY2025 | 148,958.22 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 158,025.48 | 9,067.26 |
| FY2026 | 179,019.20 | 6,295.00 | 25,000.00 | 156,791.46 | 9,067.26 |
Each report gives interest as 0.00. In FY2024 and FY2025 the Township reported more unspent money than it says it ever received.
The books hold the same number. The 2024 settlement line, 4-01-55-008-043, carried a balance of 9,067.26. It was cancelled on 01/01/2025 and moved to the grant reserve. That the reports count this money twice is our inference. Added the same 9,067.26 to unspent funds in three reports.
The speakers
Two Living Lessons speakers presented at Lazar School on 05/14/2026. The FY2026 report lists each as a prevention program for 750 students through 8th grade. The 525 Foundation was paid 2,250.00 and MurphsElite Training Systems 2,500.00. Each figure ties to one check. School prevention education is a use Exhibit E lists. The purchase orders and vendor histories say only 2026 Living Lessons Speaker. No contract, invoice or presentation material was produced, so this project lists both payments as unverified.
What should happen
The settlement fund has paid 26,545.00 for costs of the Police Department. One is a fee the police budget already carried. The other is upkeep of software the department bought with other money. The Township can restore that money to the fund and spend it on a listed use or a documented abatement program.
The L.E.A.D. order for 2,200.00 was still open on 09/01/2026.
The State relies on these reports to verify compliance. The Department of Human Services and the Office of the State Comptroller should examine the FY2026 report and the records behind it.
How this project classifies spending is set out in the methodology and the rubric. Corrections follow the corrections policy.