Metuchen
- 01Counted an unpaid 782.00 order as spent in FY2023782.00
- 02Certified 0.00 spent in FY2024 while CARES paid 7,287.066,505.06
- 03FY2025 report left out the CARES account's 12,813.4812,813.48
- 04Unspent balance overstated by 19,318.5419,318.54
What the reports say,
and what the books show.
Metuchen has received $74,420.73 in opioid settlement funds and spent $65,228.56 of it. Its largest single year difference between the report and the books is $12,876.96.
The money, four ways.
Four figures describe the same settlement money. Each one comes from a different document.
Certified against the books,
every report year.
Every year this jurisdiction has filed, and the year it has not. The match on each row is computed from the rows, not judged.
filed
- Program name
- Metuchen CARES
- Recipient
- Borough of Metuchen
- Amount expended
- $4,705.16
- Received to date
- $11,945.49
filed
- Programs listed
- none
- Amount expended
- $0.00
- Unspent on hand
- $34,350.87
- Received to date
- $39,056.03
filed
- Program name
- Metuchen CARES
- Programs listed
- 3
- Amount expended
- $30,456.11
- Unspent on hand
- $23,853.70
- Received to date
- $59,014.97
filed
- Program name
- BMX Drug Awareness Program
- Recipient
- Dialed Action Sports
- Recipient category
- Private/For-profit Organizations
- Programs listed
- 2
- Amount expended
- $10,700.00
- Unspent on hand
- $18,669.48
- Received to date
- $74,420.73
5 findings.
Every finding is verified to the documents in its own row. An inference is labelled as one.
Red with the marker: a certified figure the books contradict.
The FY2023 report certifies 4,705.16 expended as of 6/30/23.
The account paid 3,923.16 in that window. 4imprint 783.16 on check 46644, Matt Bellace Presentations 2,000.00 on check 46664, Blue Parachute 140.00 on check 46815 and the Metuchen Parent Teacher Council 1,000.00 on check 46999. The other 782.00 is Blue Parachute purchase order 23000952 for a farm market and National Night Out giveaway. The ledger shows it encumbered 06/21/2023 and paid 07/11/2023 on check 47201, after the window closed. 3,923.16 plus 782.00 equals 4,705.16. The report counted an open order as money spent.
false-certification · 2 documents · 09/23/2026The FY2024 report certifies 0.00 expended, lists no program and answers N/A, no funds used this reporting year.
In the same window, 07/01/2023 to 06/30/2024, the CARES account G-02-41-708-501 paid 7,287.06 on nine lines. Blue Parachute 782.00, Heros and Cool Kids 4,500.00 for a YMCA summer prevention program, WB Mason 35.20, Fresco by Jimmy 85.95, Blue Parachute 887.50 for overdose awareness lawn signs and banners, and Baker and Taylor 996.41 for library books. The 782.00 was already counted in the FY2023 figure. The other 6,505.06 does not appear in any report.
false-certification · 2 documents · 09/23/2026The FY2025 report certifies 30,456.11 expended.
That is every payment on account G-02-41-708-601 in the window, to the cent. The Borough's other opioid account, G-02-41-708-501 CARES, paid 12,813.48 in the same window. Outfront Media 3,250.00 for an opioid billboard, Herren Talks 7,570.98 for a high school presentation, Wellspring Center for Prevention 500.00 and International Guidelines Center 1,492.50 for ASAM treatment guidebooks. The same report's update on the Metuchen CARES program says it was a one-time event and certifies 0.00 expended in the period.
false-certification · 2 documents · 09/23/2026The unspent figure in each report is the cumulative receipts less only what was certified.
FY2024 unspent 34,350.87 equals 39,056.03 less 4,705.16. FY2025 unspent 23,853.70 equals 59,014.97 less 4,705.16 less 30,456.11. On the same 59,014.97 of receipts, the checks in the ledger leave 4,535.16. That is 59,014.97 less 3,923.16, 7,287.06 and 43,269.59. The difference of 19,318.54 is the CARES spending no report certified, 6,505.06 in FY2024 and 12,813.48 in FY2025. Counting the net 48.75 of journal reclasses on the CARES account, the book balance is 4,486.41.
false-certification · 3 documents · 09/23/2026The FY2025 report certifies a program named Operational Readiness for Police Officers at 26,221.11, recipient Seton Hall University, recipient category First Responders, Law Enforcement, and Emergency Services, primary category Primary Prevention, Education, and Training.
Its measure is completion of the four-hour course by the Metuchen police force. The Borough's vendor file shows no payment to Seton Hall University. The ledger shows ZSchool LLC 14,850.00 on check 106 for OP READINESS FOR POLICE COURSE plus five checks to the Current Fund captioned PAYROLL OPIOID, 03/12/2025 to 05/07/2025, totaling 11,371.11. 14,850.00 plus 11,371.11 equals 26,221.11. The report names a recipient the Borough did not pay and files the police payroll inside the prevention program. The Borough's Paylocity earnings listing shows the 11,371.11 is police pay under the pay codes Grant Opioid Training. It is 33 officers at 4 hours each, 10,737.02 of overtime for 29 officers and 634.09 of regular pay for 4 officers. Grouped by check date it ties to the five checks to the cent. The 33 clients the report projects are the 33 officers. So 43.4 percent of the certified prevention program is the Borough's own police payroll, paid back to its Current Fund. The regular pay is salary the Borough would have paid anyway. N.J.S.A. 26:2G-39(f) and MOA Section D(7) require settlement money to supplement and not supplant local funds, and D(7) bars using it to reimburse past expenditures.
misclassified-program · 4 documents · 09/25/2026Patterns this jurisdiction appears in: Zero certification
The ledger, as printed.
Account G-02-41-708-501, as printed from the jurisdiction's own accounting system. Classification follows the Exhibit E gates.
| Date | Check | PO | Payee and description | Amount | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 04/11/2023 | 46644 | 23000285 | 4IMPRINT INC · Metuchen CARES - Project Graduation bags | 783.16 | Paid · Unverified |
| 04/11/2023 | 46664 | 23000548 | MATT BELLACE PRESENTATIONS LLC · MHS presentation - Project Graduation | 2,000.00 | Paid · Conforming |
| 04/25/2023 | 46815 | 23000569 | BLUE PARACHUTE LLC · Wallet cards - 988 Hotline | 70.00 | Paid · Conforming |
| 04/25/2023 | 46815 | 23000569 | BLUE PARACHUTE LLC · Wallet cards - Binge Awareness | 70.00 | Paid · Conforming |
| 05/23/2023 | 46999 | 23000755 | METUCHEN PARENT TEACHER COUNCIL · Project Graduation 2023 | 1,000.00 | Paid · Unverified |
| 07/11/2023 | 47201 | 23000952 | BLUE PARACHUTE LLC · Farm Mkt / NNO giveaway shipping | 112.00 | Paid · Unverified |
| 07/11/2023 | 47201 | 23000952 | BLUE PARACHUTE LLC · Farm Mkt / NNO giveaway | 670.00 | Paid · Unverified |
| 08/15/2023 | 47272 | 23001177 | HEROS & COOL KIDS · YMCA summer prevention program | 4,500.00 | Paid · Conforming |
| 10/03/2023 | 47600 | 23001453 | WB MASON CO INC · Wellness Wednesdays supplies | 35.20 | Paid · Unverified |
| 11/28/2023 | 47769 | 23001550 | BLUE PARACHUTE LLC · OAD Main St banners | 425.00 | Paid · Conforming |
| 11/28/2023 | 47769 | 23001550 | BLUE PARACHUTE LLC · OAD lawn signs | 462.50 | Paid · Conforming |
| 11/28/2023 | 47780 | 23001411 | FRESCO BY JIMMY · Wellspring Sr prevention - refreshments | 75.95 | Paid · Unverified |
| 11/28/2023 | 47780 | 23001411 | FRESCO BY JIMMY · Wellspring Sr prevention - delivery | 10.00 | Paid · Unverified |
| 01/30/2024 | 47915 | 23001869 | BAKER & TAYLOR LLC · CARES YA library collection (books) | 996.41 | Paid · Unverified |
| 04/09/2024 | ref 2064-2066 | ALLOCATE CK #48363 24000335 (net of Refs 2064, 2065, 2066 lines 1 and 2) | -14.73 | Reversal · Unverified | |
| 10/08/2024 | 101 | 24001228 | OUTFRONT MEDIA INC · OPIOID CAMPAIGN - BILLBOARD | 3,000.00 | Paid · Conforming |
| 10/08/2024 | 102 | 24001229 | HERREN TALKS INC · MHS opioid presentation | 7,000.00 | Paid · Conforming |
| 10/08/2024 | 102 | 24001229 | HERREN TALKS INC · MHS presentation - expenses | 570.98 | Paid · Conforming |
| 10/08/2024 | 3381 | 24001228 | OUTFRONT MEDIA INC · Billboard production/installation | 250.00 | Paid · Conforming |
| 11/25/2024 | 103 | 24001548 | WELLSPRING CENTER FOR PREVENTION · Dangers of RX drug presentation | 500.00 | Paid · Conforming |
| 12/10/2024 | 3468 | 24001563 | INTERNAT'L GUIDELINES CENTER · ASAM opioid treatment guidebooks | 1,492.50 | Paid · Unverified |
| 12/10/2024 | ref 2116 | RECLASS PORTION CK #104 | 63.48 | Paid · Unverified | |
| 02/11/2025 | 105 | 24001695 | NJ STATE ELKS ASSOCIATION · Elks Peer Leadership Conference | 4,235.00 | Paid · Unverified |
| 03/12/2025 | 3517 | 25000522 | METUCHEN - CURRENT FUND · 3/14/25 PAYROLL OPIOID | 471.73 | Paid · Non-conforming |
| 03/26/2025 | 3521 | 25000526 | METUCHEN - CURRENT FUND · 3/28/25 PAYROLL OPIOID | 5,894.70 | Paid · Non-conforming |
| 04/09/2025 | 3525 | 25000530 | METUCHEN - CURRENT FUND · 4/11/25 PAYROLL OPIOID | 2,505.87 | Paid · Non-conforming |
| 04/23/2025 | 3550 | 25000671 | METUCHEN - CURRENT FUND · 4/25/25 PAYROLL NATL OPIOID | 1,695.39 | Paid · Non-conforming |
| 04/29/2025 | 106 | 25000279 | ZSCHOOL LLC · OP READINESS FOR POLICE COURSE | 14,850.00 | Paid · Conforming |
| 05/07/2025 | 3554 | 25000675 | METUCHEN - CURRENT FUND · 5/9/25 PAYROLL NATL OPIOID | 803.42 | Paid · Non-conforming |
| 08/05/2025 | 107 | 25000789 | DIALED ACTION AGENCY LLC · DRUG AWARE. BIKE SAFETY SHOW | 3,000.00 | Paid · Unverified |
| 02/10/2026 | 108 | 25001415 | NJ STATE ELKS ASSOCIATION · Elks Peer Leadership Conference | 7,700.00 | Paid · Unverified |
| Total paid | 65,243.29 | ||||
| Conforming abatement spending | 33,698.48 |
Vendors, and what paid them before.
What fund carried each payee before the opioid account, and how large the opioid slice is against the whole relationship. Bars share one scale.
Full width is $14,850.00, the largest payee total. Solid is the opioid account. Hatched is every other fund.
All documents are public records produced by the jurisdiction. Titles are the documents' own.
No dated event is published for this jurisdiction yet.
No correction received from this jurisdiction. If a figure on this page is wrong, send the record that shows it. The response is published here word for word.
Correct the recordCan opioid settlement money be spent on police cars or license plate readers?
No. Exhibit E of the national settlement lists the approved uses: treatment, recovery, prevention, harm reduction and related supports. Vehicles and surveillance hardware are not among the uses it lists, and state law bars using the funds to replace money a town would otherwise have spent.The approved uses
What did Metuchen tell the State it spent the money on?
It certified 6 programs to the Department of Human Services. Each program, its recipient and its amount are reproduced above, beside the payments in the account.See the reports
How was this grade computed?
By code, from a published rubric: reporting integrity 50 percent, spending conformity 40 percent, transparency 10 percent, with hard caps for a certified program that has no payee in the books, for an uncertified transfer out, and for a records refusal.The rubric
Articles about this town
Metuchen Borough
Metuchen Borough told the State it spent 0.00 of its opioid settlement money in FY2024 while its CARES account paid 7,287.06, and it left 19,318.54 of spending out of its reports.