Readington Township
Readington Township spent 83,900.29 of its opioid settlement money on two vehicles and equipment for them, certified the first vehicle to the State as administrative overhead, and filed no report for FY2026.
Published 10/03/2026
TLDR
- Readington Township spent 117,267.55 of opioid settlement money through 07/30/2026. 83,900.29 of it, 71.5 percent, went to two vehicles and their lights, radio, registration and seat covers.
- The first vehicle, a 29,019.00 Ford Bronco Sport, went into the FY2025 report as administrative overhead. The report put 35,339.08 of 35,928.89 spent in administration.
- The program the vehicle was bought for, the Community Outreach Team, was updated at 589.81.
- Police lights and a radio for the vehicle followed. Then a second vehicle for 46,017.00.
- The Township filed no report for FY2026. It spent 71,826.29 that year.
- The FY2025 report put 95,291.75 on hand. On its own figures the Township could hold no more than 90,504.23.
- It certified 1,860.51 more spending than the books show, 3,795.00 committed to a National Night Out rental and a youth CPR class, and 1,064.92 of clothing as administration.
- The FY2024 and FY2025 reports both give the team's encounters as 21.
Summary
Readington Township, Hunterdon County, reported receiving 126,433.12 in opioid settlement money through 06/30/2025. 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 describe one program, the Community Outreach Team. The FY2023 report says it pairs a licensed social worker with a police officer to respond to mental health, domestic violence, homelessness and other calls. Co-responder models for opioid-related calls are among the uses Exhibit E lists. No program record beyond the State reports was produced.
The settlement accounts paid 117,267.55 net from 12/03/2024 to 07/30/2026, and 1,040.00 was open on 08/31/2026. This project classifies 301.55 of that spending as conforming, 16,798.16 as non-conforming and 100,167.84 as unverified. Most of the unverified money is the two vehicles and the salary charges, which the record does not settle. Read the Township's findings.
What the Township told the State
| Year | Received in year | Certified spent | Certified encumbered | Certified administration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 38,818.00 to date | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
| FY2024 | 51,675.70 and 1,291.50 interest | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| FY2025 | 34,647.92 | 35,928.89 | 12,359.31 | 35,339.08 |
| FY2026 | No Report Received |
FY2023 and FY2024 certify nothing spent. The books agree. The first payment from the account is dated 12/03/2024.
The FY2025 report certifies 35,928.89 spent between 07/01/2024 and 06/30/2025. The account paid 34,068.38 in that window. No row in the books carries the 1,860.51 difference. Certified 1,860.51 more spending than its books show.
The same report certifies 126,433.12 received since 2022 and 95,291.75 on hand. Received less spent is 90,504.23. The on hand figure is 4,787.52 more. It is the account's budget balance. The budget was raised to 142,008.23 by a temporary budget and five Chapter 159 insertions, 15,575.11 more than the report says was received. Less payments, the lights booked received and the open orders, the balance is 95,291.75 to the cent. Reported 95,291.75 on hand, 4,787.52 more than possible.
The FY2025 report says the money supports the team's community events "as well as national night out." The 12,359.31 certified as encumbered equals four orders open on 06/30/2025. Two are police lights and a radio for the outreach vehicle. The other two are a 2,625.00 National Night Out rental from Party Perfect Rentals and 1,170.00 of CPR instruction for the Junior Police Academy. Event rentals and CPR classes are not among the uses Exhibit E lists. Committed 3,795.00 to an event rental and a youth CPR class.
The report lists uniform shirts among its administrative expenses. The account paid 1,064.92 for clothing that year, shirts, caps, T-shirts, shorts and a logo fee. Clothing is not among the uses Exhibit E lists. Certified 1,064.92 in clothing as administrative cost.
The first vehicle
On 03/18/2025 the settlement account paid Fred Beans Ford of Washington 29,019.00 for a 2024 Ford Bronco Sport, check 37407. The same dealer's vendor history shows a police pursuit pickup ordered three days later on a capital ordinance, and a police Tahoe paid 12/02/2025.
The FY2025 report counts 35,339.08 of the year's 35,928.89 as program administrative expenses. It lists them as "Office Supplies, Vehicle and upfit, Office Furniture, uniform shirts." The vehicle is 82.1 percent of that figure. The report updates the Community Outreach Team at 589.81.
On 06/16/2025 the account ordered police lights from Elite Vehicle Solutions, 7,433.05, and a two-way radio from PMC Associates, 1,131.26, both for the team's vehicle. The radio was paid 09/03/2025 and the lights 11/04/2025, after the year closed. No upfit charge was paid in the year the report says the upfit was spent. Certified a 29,019.00 vehicle as administrative overhead.
A vehicle used by a real outreach program can serve a listed use. No record produced documents how the team uses this one. On 07/07/2026 the account paid 286.00 for a line that reads "Registration and tags for Bronco to be transf," cut off in the print. The record does not say where the vehicle is going.
FY2026
The State's FY2026 page for the Township reads No Report Received. The report was due 09/01/2026 and covers 07/01/2025 to 06/30/2026.
The accounts spent 71,826.29 in that year.
- 46,017.00 to Ciocca FMCCB for a vehicle for the Community Outreach Team, check 1051 on 04/16/2026. It is the second vehicle in 13 months.
- 7,433.05 for police lights and 1,131.26 for a radio for the first vehicle.
- 12,100.00 moved by General Journal 99 on 12/10/2025.
- 2,786.55 for National Night Out rentals and supplies.
- 1,170.00 for Junior Police Academy CPR instruction and 165.00 for its food.
- Clothing, office supplies, a tent, car seat covers and other items.
Spent 71,826.29 in FY2026 and filed no State report.
General Journal 99 debits the settlement salary line 12,100.00 "To record Transfer of Opioid Salary to Social Services 5/19 - 12/31." It credits the Public Assistance salary line in the current fund and moves the cash with it. The journal carries no approver, worksheet or time record. The Public Assistance line rose from 5,061.93 to 17,161.93. Six days later a budget transfer took 10,000.00 off the line. The print for the year ends at 449.50 on 12/19/2025. The record does not show whose time the 12,100.00 pays. No produced record shows the same salary cost paid from the current fund before, so this project publishes no finding on it.
Where the money went
| Spending, 12/03/2024 to 07/30/2026 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Two vehicles, lights, radio, registration and seat covers | 83,900.29 |
| Payroll lines and General Journal 99 | 14,959.74 |
| National Night Out, 2025 and 2026 | 7,164.80 |
| Half of a Recreation Trust rental, General Journal 114 | 6,708.63 |
| Junior Police Academy | 1,335.00 |
| Clothing, office supplies, furniture and other items | 3,199.09 |
| Total | 117,267.55 |
General Journal 114, dated 07/30/2026, charged the settlement account 6,708.63 to record half of purchase order 26000320, "1/2 Rec. 1/2 Opioid." That order is a Party Perfect Rentals invoice for 3 play sports, 13,417.25, which the Recreation Trust had already paid on 07/07/2026. This spending falls in FY2027, which no report covers yet.
What the records do not show
The Township produced its old settlement account through 05/27/2026 and its new accounts through 08/31/2026. The old account's last payment leaves a balance of 90,805.20. The new account opened on 09/29/2025 with a budget of 141,548.70. No produced record shows how one became the other. No receipts ledger was produced, so the amounts the reports say were received cannot be tied to deposits.
How this project classifies spending is set out in the methodology and the rubric. Corrections follow the corrections policy.