Somerville Borough

Summary

Somerville Borough, Somerset County, reports receiving 150,213.26 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 in one account, G-02-40-002-022-550, Opioid Settlement, filed under department 002, Police Grants. From 01/01/2022 to 08/26/2026 the account paid 21,295.57 on nine checks. One Board of Education order for 6,000.00 was open.

This project classifies 3,500.00 of the spending as conforming, the two Not An Easy Fix payments for an opioid and fentanyl education program at the high school. It classifies 3,675.47 as non-conforming, the AED, the senior night handouts and the Night Out giveaways. The other 14,120.10 is unverified. The record does not settle what Challenge Day and the ThinkFast assembly delivered. Read the Borough's findings.

What the Borough received and spent

The State's fiscal year runs 07/01 to 06/30.

The AED

Purchase order 23-00825, dated 06/07/2023, pays the Somerville Rescue Squad 1,290.00 as "Reimbursement for Library AED." It charges current fund account 3-01-20-100-000-614. The current fund paid it by check 24113 on 06/19/2023. The order confirmation and invoice attached to it are for an AED package with a wall cabinet and sign.

On 09/01/2023 the settlement account paid the Borough of Somerville 1,290.00 by check 142. The ledger describes the payment as a reimbursement to the current fund for purchase order 23-00825. The current fund had already paid for the defibrillator. The settlement account took over that cost. Settlement money repaid the current fund for an AED.

The FY2024 report lists the purchase as a program named AED for Public Library. It files it under Treatment, with the primary problem "Lifesaving measures" and the Schedule B strategy First Responders. Asked which performance indicators it tracks, the report says the question "does not apply to this purchase." Asked how the program addresses opioid use disorder, it answers N/A. An AED treats cardiac arrest. Exhibit E's Treatment uses are treatment for opioid use disorder. No overdose program using this defibrillator is documented. Certified a library defibrillator as opioid treatment.

What the Borough told the State

The FY2023 report certifies 2,000.00 spent as of 06/30/2023. That is Not An Easy Fix check 112 of 06/05/2023.

The FY2024 report covers 07/01/2023 to 06/30/2024 and certifies 9,790.00 spent. Its three new programs sum to 7,790.00, the amount the account paid in that period. Its update to the 2023 program says 2,000.00 was spent on it in FY2024. Check 112 plus the three FY2024 checks make 9,790.00 to the cent. Both reports count the same 2,000.00. Reported a 2,000.00 FY2023 payment again in FY2024.

The FY2025 report certifies 6,000.00 spent on Challenge Day 2025. Check 278 of 05/12/2025 is the figure. It replaced check 274, voided on 05/09/2025.

The unspent figures do not follow from the reports' own receipts and the books in any year.

Each report gives 0.00 interest. FY2024 unspent figure is 2,571.90 above what was left. FY2025 unspent figure is 1,755.47 below what was left.

FY2026

The State published the Borough's FY2026 report on 10/01/2026. It covers 07/01/2025 to 06/30/2026. It certifies 4,529.48 spent and 6,000.00 encumbered. Three programs make the spent figure to the cent.

• Senior Night, 1,409.38, is Morton's Marketing Resources check 322 of 10/06/2025 for "Senior night opiod hand outs." The report describes a recreational night out for seniors and measures it by promotional items. It files the night under Primary Prevention, Education, and Training. The Borough bought event gift bags from the same vendor in 2018 and 2019 on its recreation trust and advertising lines. No item list was produced. Certified a senior night out and handouts as prevention.
• Think Fast Interactive, 3,000.00, is TJohnE Productions check 342 of 03/02/2026. The report names the Board of Education as the recipient. The Borough paid the same vendor 3,000.00 twice more, on 07/08/2026 and 08/03/2026, for teen driver safety programs on a police training line.
• Challenge Day 2026 is 120.10 spent and 6,000.00 encumbered. Check 369 of 06/15/2026 paid the middle school 670.10, and 120.10 of it posted to the settlement account. The 6,000.00 is a Board of Education order open since 02/04/2026.

The report says the Borough has 149,931.48 unspent and uncommitted on hand. It also says the Borough received 150,213.26 since 2022 and encumbered 6,000.00. The account paid 20,319.48 through 06/30/2026. That leaves 123,893.78 uncommitted. The 149,931.48 is the account's budget balance after Amazon check 383 for 976.09 on 08/17/2026, after the year closed. The budget balance on 06/30/2026 was 150,907.57. A budget balance counts appropriations, not money received less money paid. FY2026 unspent figure is 26,037.70 above what was left.

On 08/17/2026 the account paid Amazon 976.09 for "Opiod awrns giveouts Nght out." No item list was produced.

What the records leave open

The Borough did not say whether any account other than G-02-40-002-022-550 received or paid settlement money. Check 369 shows 550.00 of a Challenge Day reimbursement charged somewhere else. The middle school's vendor history shows a Challenge Day lunch of 556.05 and breakfasts of 231.00 on the grant checking account. Neither appears on the settlement account. On 04/27/2022, before the first settlement payment, the grant fund paid the Board of Education 129.50 described as MAC Challenge Day reimburse.

How this project classifies spending is set out in the methodology and the rubric. Corrections follow the corrections policy.