Borough of Wanaque
Wanaque reports receiving 4,337.60 in opioid settlement money, it has spent 1,500.00 on one school poster program, and its FY2025 report contradicts itself about that program and the money left over.
Published 10/03/2026
TLDR
- Wanaque reports receiving 4,337.60 in opioid settlement money since 2022.
- It has spent 1,500.00. One check, 05/13/2025, to The Black Poster Project.
- The FY2025 report says no decision had been made and no new program funded. The same report certifies the 1,500.00 spent on a new program.
- It also gives the poster program all 4,337.60 and calls 2,837.60 of it uncommitted.
- Nothing has left the account since. The 2,837.60 sits there.
Summary
The Borough of Wanaque, Passaic County, reports to the State as State ID NJ240. 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 produced one account, G-01-41-700-215, Opioid Abatement. Its prints run from 01/01/2022 to 08/28/2026. The account was given 4,337.60 on 10/29/2024. It has paid 1,500.00 and shows a balance of 2,837.60, with nothing encumbered. Read the Borough's page.
This project classifies the 1,500.00 this way.
| Classification | Amount |
|---|---|
| Conforming | 0.00 |
| Non-conforming | 0.00 |
| Unverified | 1,500.00 |
| Paid through 08/28/2026 | 1,500.00 |
Findings
- Said no spending decision was made, then certified 1,500.00. 1,500.00.
- Counted 2,837.60 as poster funding and as uncommitted cash. 2,837.60.
What the Borough told the State
The State's reporting year runs 07/01 to 06/30.
| Report | Received in the year | Received since 2022 | Spent | Encumbered | Unspent on hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | not asked | 0.00 | 0.00 | not asked | not asked |
| FY2024 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| FY2025 | 4,337.60 | 4,337.60 | 1,500.00 | 0.00 | 2,837.60 |
| FY2026 | 0.00 | 4,337.60 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 2,837.60 |
FY2023. The report certifies 0.00 received and 0.00 expended as of 06/30/2023. The Borough had no strategic plan and had not engaged the public.
FY2024. The report certifies nothing received, spent or encumbered, and no program funded. It says the Borough is "just starting the process."
FY2025. The report certifies 4,337.60 received, 1,500.00 expended and 0.00 encumbered. It lists one program, Black Poster Project, with Lakeland High School as the recipient. It describes a "Poster contest for drug abuse awareness" for children and teenagers. It gives 4,337.60 as the program's funding and 1,500.00 as spent. It files the program under Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention, with the Schedule B strategy Prevent Misuse of Opioids. Its performance figure is "Reduction in opioid-related incidents: 7." Where the form asks how the program meets an evidence-based standard, it answers N/A. Asked how the Borough decided to use the money, the same report answers "Still in the planning stages. No decision has been made yet." Asked whether the Borough funded any new program in the year, it answers No.
FY2026. The State published the Borough's FY2026 report on 10/01/2026. It certifies 0.00 received, 0.00 spent, 0.00 encumbered and 2,837.60 on hand. It funded no program. Asked what resources the Borough used to decide its spending, it answers "No decision has been made yet." Asked for how many years spending allocations have already been decided, it answers 1 - 2 years. It gives no update on the poster program.
What the books show
| Year | Certified expended | Paid in the window | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2023 | 0.00 | 0.00 | Agree |
| FY2024 | 0.00 | 0.00 | Agree |
| FY2025 | 1,500.00 | 1,500.00 | Agree to the cent |
| FY2026 | 0.00 | 0.00 | Agree |
The one payment is check 2237 of 05/13/2025 on purchase order 25-00427, described as "poster project." The payee is The Black Poster Project. The account prints no other payment, encumbrance, journal or transfer from 01/01/2022 to 08/28/2026.
The FY2025 report's 2,837.60 on hand is the account's printed balance, 4,337.60 less 1,500.00. The FY2026 report carries the same figure, and the account held the same balance on 08/28/2026.
What the reports say against themselves
The FY2025 report certifies 1,500.00 spent in the year and lists a new program funded 05/13/2025. The books show the order placed and paid that day, check 2237. The same report says no decision had been made and no new program was funded. Said no spending decision was made, then certified 1,500.00.
The FY2025 program page gives the poster program 4,337.60, every dollar the Borough reports receiving, as a one-time disbursement. It shows 1,500.00 spent and nothing encumbered. Page 1 of the same report certifies 2,837.60 unspent and uncommitted. The books show one 1,500.00 order and no other order, encumbrance or payment through 08/28/2026. The 2,837.60 is counted twice, once as program funding and once as money no program has. Counted 2,837.60 as poster funding and as uncommitted cash.
The poster program
The report describes a poster contest. The ledger pays The Black Poster Project. School prevention programs are among the uses Exhibit E lists when they are evidence-based or evidence-informed. The Borough produced no contract, invoice or scope of work for the order, and the report states no evidence base. This project classifies the 1,500.00 as unverified. The record does not settle it either way.
How the figures compare
This section is arithmetic on the record. It is not a finding.
- The FY2023 and FY2024 reports certify 0.00 received since 2022. The FY2025 report certifies 4,337.60 received in the year and 4,337.60 since 2022.
- The 4,337.60 equals the amount placed in the account on 10/29/2024. The budget detail prints it as a change to the account under Resolution 164-0-2024, Temporary Budget.
- The Borough produced no revenue record. The dates and amounts of the settlement payments it received cannot be checked against the reports.
What should happen
The Borough can produce the order, invoice and program description for its payment to The Black Poster Project. It can also produce the revenue record for its settlement receipts. Those records would show what the program delivered and what the Borough has received.
How this project classifies spending is set out in the methodology and the rubric. Corrections follow the corrections policy.