Town of West New York

Summary

The Town of West New York, Hudson County, reported receiving 1,077,861.72 in opioid settlement money through 06/30/2025. Its ledger shows 173,379.95 more arriving on 08/18/2025 and 12/11/2025. The national settlements list uses for the money, among them treatment, recovery, connection to care, prevention and harm reduction. The list is not exhaustive. Other documented, evidence-based programs that address the epidemic also qualify. In either case the money must supplement local spending, not replace it.

The Town keeps the money in reserve accounts under 02-213-40-054. Through 08/05/2026 the accounts paid 84,515.24.

Another 528,036.34 was on open orders on 09/01/2026. Read the Town's findings.

What the Town told the State

Each filed report lists one program, Narcan for Police and EMS. The FY2024 and FY2025 reports answer No when asked whether the Town funded any new program. All three answer that the Town has no strategic plan and did not engage the public before deciding how to use the money.

The naloxone

The FY2023 report certifies 3,784.75 spent and lists the three purchase orders behind it. V. E. Ralph and Son was paid 1,425.00 on 01/25/2023, 1,179.00 on 02/15/2023 and 1,180.75 on 06/08/2023 for naloxone. The three checks make the figure to the cent. FY2023 Narcan program ties to three payments.

The FY2024 report certifies 1,684.60 spent between 07/01/2023 and 06/30/2024, with 760.50 of it legal counsel. Its Narcan update says 924.10 was spent, 471.60 on Narcan and 452.50 on protective cases. The account paid 1,232.10 in that year. The cases were ordered on 08/02/2024 and paid on 08/21/2024, after the year closed. Counted cases paid in August 2024 as FY2024 spending.

The FY2025 report certifies 1,561.84 spent between 07/01/2024 and 06/30/2025. The account paid 2,774.84 in that year, 2,310.84 of naloxone and 464.00 of cases. The report counts 1,213.00 less than the books. The record explains 452.50 of the gap, the cases the FY2024 report had already counted. FY2025 report certifies 1,213.00 less than the account paid.

The 760.50 difference across the three years is the legal fees. The FY2024 report lists them as administrative expense.

The naloxone was not new spending for the Town. V. E. Ralph's vendor history shows the Town paid it 486.20 for naloxone on 01/19/2018 from current fund EMS account 01-203-22-772-020-99, before any settlement money arrived. The record does not show the same cost moving to the settlement account to the cent.

The balances

The FY2024 report certifies 804,309.82 received since 2022 and 918,915.26 unspent on hand. The on hand figure is 114,605.44 more than everything the Town says it received. On 06/30/2024 the settlement accounts held 770,341.54. Reported 918,915.26 on hand, more than it ever received.

The FY2025 report certifies 1,070,070.03 appropriated or encumbered but not yet spent, and 0.00 unspent on hand. No purchase order was open on the accounts on 06/30/2025. The figure equals the balances of two appropriated reserve accounts, 119,868.46 and 580,744.57, plus 369,457.00 the Town appropriated on 07/30/2025, a month after the year closed. On 06/30/2025 that 369,456.91 still sat uncommitted in the unappropriated reserves. Apart from two small legal bills, the first order against the money is dated 06/10/2026. Reported 1,070,070.03 encumbered with no orders open.

The reports also split receipts across years differently from the settlement accounts. The FY2023 report counts 245,620.93 received by 06/30/2023. The settlement reserve shows 216,669.50 by then. By 06/30/2025 the two agree within 0.09. One wire reached the reserve on 06/18/2025 as a transfer from the current fund, and the current fund was not produced.

The utility vehicles

Purchase order 53318, dated 06/10/2026, buys two Honda Pioneer 700-4 Deluxe utility task vehicles from Hanover Powersports. It ships to the Police Department. Its special instruction reads "Emergency Vehicles UTV." Every line is charged to the settlement account.

Resolution R26-139 authorizes the purchase "as required by the Town" and certifies funds in account 02-213-40-054-022. It states no abatement purpose. Check 19089 paid the order on 06/17/2026. No overdose program using the vehicles is documented, and utility vehicles are not among the uses Exhibit E lists. Paid 43,378.01 for two police utility vehicles.

The June 2026 orders

Between 06/10/2026 and 06/18/2026 the Town placed four more orders on the settlement accounts. All four ship to the Department of Public Safety, Ambulance Headquarters.

V. E. Ralph was paid on 08/05/2026. The epinephrine on that order, 6,473.20, treats allergic reactions, not overdose. On 06/11/2026 the Town also encumbered 139,883.90 for a converted Ford Transit and cancelled it the same day. No overdose program using any of this equipment is documented. Committed 554,873.42 to ambulances, cots and radios.

FY2026

The State published the FY2026 subdivision reports on 10/01/2026. The page for West New York reads No Report Received. Between 07/01/2025 and 06/30/2026 the account paid 43,594.01, the utility vehicles and 216.00 of legal fees. No program for any of it has been reported to the State. Filed no FY2026 report after spending 43,594.01.

What should happen

The ambulance, cot and radio orders were still open on 09/01/2026. The Town can charge them to another fund and spend the settlement money on a listed use or a documented abatement program. It can restore the 43,378.01 the utility vehicles took from the fund.

The State relies on these reports to verify compliance. The Department of Human Services and the Office of the State Comptroller should examine the Town's reports and the records behind them.

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