Springfield Township

Summary

Springfield Township's revenue account for the settlement, G-02-20-050-000, took in 116,529.16 in 27 receipts from 02/15/2023 to 10/31/2025. 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.

For three years the Township spent none of it, and its reports said so. Its settlement account, G-02-05-000-000-000, shows two orders paid through 08/28/2026.

The account balance on 08/28/2026 was 106,983.47. Read the Township's findings.

What the Township told the State

• FY2023. Received 29,693.43 as of 6/30/23. Expended 0.00. No public engagement. No strategic plan, "but plan to develop one in the future." It gave "Strategic plan" as its rationale for using the funds.
• FY2024. Received 48,098.32 in the year, 77,791.75 since 2022. Spent 0.00, encumbered 0.00, administrative 0.00. Unspent on hand 86,216.96. No programs funded. On how it decided to use the money, it wrote "The decision as still not been made."
• FY2025. Received 22,590.39 in the year, 100,382.14 since 2022. Spent 0.00, encumbered 0.00, administrative 0.00. Unspent on hand 100,382.14. No new programs. "No decision has been made."
• FY2026. Received 17,986.86 in the year, 118,369.00 since 2022. Spent 2,899.44, encumbered 6,645.25, administrative 0.00, unspent on hand 106,983.47. Two programs funded. Its goal was "to properly equip first responders with the tools necessary to combat the effects of an opioid related overdose." The Police Department administration, the Business Administrator and the Chief Financial Officer decided how to spend the money. The resource it named was a needs assessment.

The zero spending figures for FY2023, FY2024 and FY2025 agree with the account. No payment left it before 05/26/2026. The FY2026 unspent figure, 106,983.47, is the account's printed balance: 116,529.16 appropriated, less the 2,899.44 paid and the 6,646.25 bag order.

The defibrillators

The FY2026 report certifies a new program named Project Lifesaver at 2,899.44 funded and spent. The recipient is the Springfield Police Department. The report describes the purpose as "Deployment of defibrillators to treat cardiac arrest in opioid overdose patients." It gives the primary category as Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention. It gives the Schedule B strategies as Prevent Misuse of Opioids and Prevent Overdose Deaths and Other Harms. It reports 5 individuals served and dates the program's funding and launch to 4/21/2026.

The settlement account paid V.E. Ralph & Sons 2,684.80 and 214.64 on purchase order 26-01384, described as Defibrillators, by check 39752 on 05/26/2026. The two lines were first encumbered on 05/07/2026 and 05/21/2026. They make the certified figure to the cent.

Defibrillators treat cardiac arrest. Exhibit E's harm reduction uses name naloxone and other drugs that treat overdoses, not defibrillators. No listed use covers them, and no overdose program using this equipment is documented. Certified defibrillators as overdose harm reduction.

The medical bags

The report's other program is the Rapid Deployment Medical Supply Bag. It says the Police Department will carry bags "equipped with Narcan." It lists 6,646.25 of funding and certifies 0.00 spent and 0.00 encumbered. It dates the funding and launch to 4/17/2026 and reports 15 individuals served.

Page 2 of the same report certifies 6,645.25 encumbered but not yet spent. No program in the report carries that figure. The books show purchase order 26-01509 to V.E. Ralph & Sons for Medical Response Bags at 6,646.25. It was first encumbered on 05/19/2026, was open at 06/30/2026 and was paid by check 40017 on 07/14/2026. The report's total is 1.00 below the order, and the program block leaves the order out. Reported 6,645.25 encumbered and 0.00 for the same bags.

The produced records do not show what the bags hold. This project classifies the bags as unverified.

Equipment the budget already buys

The V.E. Ralph & Sons vendor history lists every payment to the vendor since 01/01/2018, with the account charged.

The 2023 order bought defibrillators. The 2025 order bought a key and case, not a defibrillator.

The Fire Department's lines also bought AED batteries, pads and supplies in 2022, 2024, 2025 and 2026. They paid Team Life 2,270.00 for an AED replacement on 10/08/2024. The produced Fire Department records show naloxone bought on Fire lines: EpiPens and naloxone for 989.86 in 2019, Narcan nasal spray for 480.00 in 2021 and Narcan for 320.00 twice in 2022. No naloxone appears on the settlement account.

The vendor history names no model, so the record does not show whether the 2026 defibrillators match the 2023 ones. The Township did not produce the Emergency Management appropriation history, so the record does not show whether that line fell in 2026. The Fire Department's other expenses appropriation rose from 207,200.00 in 2025 to 220,200.00 in 2026.

The record shows the Township paid for defibrillators and their accessories from its operating budget before 2026. That the settlement money took over a cost that budget carried is this project's inference from these records. The State's agreement with its towns requires the money to supplement local spending, not supplant it. Its own budget bought defibrillators before the fund did.

The receipts

The revenue account shows four receipts through 06/30/2023, 24,111.44 in all. The FY2023 report certifies 29,693.43 received as of that date. The difference is receipt R 23050, 5,581.99, dated 08/02/2023.

The FY2024 figure counts the 08/02/2023 receipt in its own year, so the receipt is counted twice. The FY2025 period figure is the FY2025 total since 2022 less the FY2024 total, which takes the receipt back out. Counted one 5,581.99 receipt in two years of reports.

The FY2024 report's unspent figure, 86,216.96, is 8,425.21 more than its own 77,791.75 received since 2022. The revenue account explains it. 86,216.96 is every receipt through 07/31/2024, including four receipts dated 07/31/2024 that total 14,007.20 and arrived after the period closed. 14,007.20 less the 5,581.99 counted twice is 8,425.21. The account held 86,216.96 from 07/31/2024 until the next receipt on 09/06/2024. The figure does not show missing money.

The revenue print ends 05/28/2026, so the record does not test the FY2026 received figure.

What should happen

The account has paid 2,899.44 for defibrillators certified to the State under a program label they do not meet. The Township's own budget bought defibrillators before. The Township can restore that money to the fund and spend it on a listed use or a documented abatement program. If the medical bags carry naloxone for the police, the Township can document that program.

The State relies on these reports to track the money. 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.