Red Bank Borough
Red Bank Borough spent its opioid settlement money on police social workers, left one 6,516.89 payment out of every report and understated the money it had on hand in FY2025 and FY2026.
Published 10/03/2026
TLDR
- Red Bank Borough reports receiving 317,806.14 in settlement money from 2022 through 06/30/2026. It paid out 160,789.64 in that time.
- Every payment went to one vendor, Pulsse Services, for social workers who work with the Police Department.
- Check 2351 paid Pulsse 6,516.89 from the Borough's second settlement line. No report counts it. FY2025 report left out 6,516.89 paid to the social workers.
- The FY2026 report says 108,161.09 was on hand. The Borough's own figures leave 132,719.22. FY2026 report understates money on hand by 24,558.13.
- The FY2025 balance is a budget figure that leaves out 21,811.39 the Borough received. FY2025 balance left out 21,811.39 the Borough received.
- The FY2024 report says the program launched on 10/01/2024. It had been paid for since 10/29/2023. FY2024 report says the program launched after its spending.
- The FY2024 and FY2026 spending figures match the books to the cent.
Summary
Red Bank Borough, Monmouth County, reports receiving 317,806.14 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 Borough keeps the money on two budget lines in its grant fund. G-02-40-621-000 is titled Opioid Settlement Fund. G-02-40-621-001 is titled Opioid Settlement Fund NOAT II. Through 06/30/2026 the two lines paid 160,789.64. Another 6,309.60 was paid on 07/09/2026. All of it went to one vendor for one service.
This project classifies all 167,099.24 as unverified. The order lines read social worker hours and services. The Borough did not produce the resolution, the contract, a scope of work or the invoices. Its reports describe social workers who connect people to treatment. A report label alone does not settle the use. Read the Borough's findings.
The social workers
The Borough contracted Pulsse Services to provide social workers to the Police Department. The FY2024 report says they make follow-up visits with people and families referred by officers. It names substance abuse counseling and mental health counseling among the services they arrange. The FY2025 report describes warm handoffs to treatment, counseling and peer support.
The Borough's purchase order listing for Pulsse runs from 01/01/2018 to 12/31/2026 and covers every fund. It holds three blanket orders.
| Order | Opened | Description | Paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24-01086 | 05/06/2024 | Social worker hours | 71,613.96 |
| 25-00772 | 03/17/2025 | Social worker services, Resolution 25-42 | 47,952.96 |
| 25-02877 | 11/05/2025 | Social work services, October 2025 to September 2026 | 47,532.32 |
| Total | 167,099.24 |
Every line is charged to one of the two settlement lines. The listing's total for all funds, 167,099.24, is the total for fund G-02, the grant fund. The first payment, check 2113 for 29,655.12 on 05/23/2024, covers service from 10/29/2023 to 04/07/2024. No record shows the Borough paying for the service from any other fund before or since. Social worker vendor was first paid with settlement money.
What the Borough told the State
| Report | Received in the year | Certified spent | Certified encumbered | Certified unspent on hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 59,733.81 | 0.00 | not asked | not asked |
| FY2024 | 119,159.05 | 35,964.72 | 29,555.28 | 113,372.86 |
| FY2025 | 69,794.40 | 46,799.23 | 47,853.12 | 89,741.91 |
| FY2026 | 69,118.88 | 71,508.80 | 24,297.28 | 108,161.09 |
Each report lists one program, Social Worker Services, with the Borough as the recipient. The FY2024 report files it under Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention. The FY2025 report files it under Wraparound and Connected Care Supports, with Support People in Treatment and Recovery and Connections to Care as its Schedule B strategies. The FY2026 report updates the same program with no changes.
The FY2024 program page gives a funding date of 10/01/2023 and a launch date of 10/01/2024. That is three months after the year the report covers, and the report certifies 35,964.72 spent in that year. The FY2025 report gives the same program a launch date of 10/01/2023. FY2024 report says the program launched after its spending.
What the books show
| State fiscal year | Certified spent | Paid from the two lines |
|---|---|---|
| FY2023, to 06/30/2023 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| FY2024, 07/01/2023 to 06/30/2024 | 35,964.72 | 35,964.72 |
| FY2025, 07/01/2024 to 06/30/2025 | 46,799.23 | 53,316.12 |
| FY2026, 07/01/2025 to 06/30/2026 | 71,508.80 | 71,508.80 |
| Total | 154,272.75 | 160,789.64 |
The FY2023 report certifies nothing spent. The first payment from either line is dated 05/23/2024.
The FY2024 report certifies 35,964.72. Checks 2113 and 2124 paid Pulsse 29,655.12 and 6,309.60 in the period. FY2024 report ties to two social worker checks.
The FY2026 report certifies 71,508.80. Nine Pulsse checks from 07/24/2025 to 05/28/2026 make the figure to the cent. The 24,297.28 it certifies as encumbered is what remained open on order 25-02877 at 06/30/2026. FY2026 report ties to nine social worker checks.
The NOAT II payment
On 05/10/2024 two entries described as adjusting the opioid account for NOAT II took 3,522.64 and 2,994.25 off the main settlement line and put them on the NOAT II line. Check 2351 of 02/13/2025 paid one Pulsse invoice for service from 11/17/2024 to 12/29/2024. It charged 1,054.63 to the main line and 6,516.89 to the NOAT II line.
The FY2025 report certifies 46,799.23. That is every payment from the main line in the year, to the cent. The 6,516.89 from the NOAT II line is not in it, and no other report counts it. The four reports together certify 154,272.75. The two lines paid 160,789.64 through 06/30/2026. The difference is that one charge. FY2025 report left out 6,516.89 paid to the social workers.
The money on hand
The FY2025 report says 248,687.26 had been received and 89,741.91 was unspent and uncommitted. The two lines had paid 89,280.84 by 06/30/2025. Received less paid, less the 47,853.12 the report certifies as encumbered, leaves 111,553.30. The certified figure is 21,811.39 less. It is the main line's budget balance of 137,595.03 less the 47,853.12. The appropriations on the two lines through 06/30/2025 total 226,875.87, which is 21,811.39 short of the money received. FY2025 balance left out 21,811.39 the Borough received.
The FY2026 report says 317,806.14 had been received and 108,161.09 was unspent and uncommitted. The two lines had paid 160,789.64 by 06/30/2026, and 24,297.28 was open on order 25-02877. That leaves 132,719.22 uncommitted. The certified figure is 24,558.13 less. It does not match the books' uncommitted budget balance of 103,603.05 either. FY2026 report understates money on hand by 24,558.13.
What the records do not show
The Borough produced its budget lines and its vendor listing. It did not produce Resolution 25-42, the Pulsse contract, a scope of work or the invoices. The program description comes from the Borough's own reports. The NOAT II line was printed through 05/28/2026 and not reprinted in the 08/31/2026 production. The vendor listing shows no charge to it after 02/13/2025.
How this project classifies spending is set out in the methodology and the rubric. Corrections follow the corrections policy.