County · County government · 16 municipalities · 17 jurisdictions in total

Union County

17 jurisdictions in Union County receive opioid settlement funds. They are the county government and 16 municipalities. Complete ledgers have been produced for 5 of them. 9 jurisdictions are graded F for certifying spending that does not exist in the books.

Complete ledgers · 5 of 17Records refused · 0Graded F · 9
Grade board · 17 jurisdictionsUnion County · provisionalGrade C · provisional
Berkeley Heights Township · provisionalGrade A · provisionalClark TownshipGrade FCranford Township · provisionalGrade F · provisionalElizabethGrade DHillside Township · provisionalGrade F · provisionalLinden · provisionalGrade D · provisionalNew Providence · provisionalGrade D · provisionalPlainfieldGrade DRahway · provisionalGrade F · provisionalRoselle · provisionalGrade F · provisionalRoselle Park · provisionalGrade B · provisionalScotch Plains Township · provisionalGrade F · provisionalSpringfield TownshipGrade FSummit · provisionalGrade F · provisionalUnion TownshipGrade FWestfield · provisionalGrade D · provisional
  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • F
  • Not yet graded
  • Records refused
County wide · county government and 16 municipalities · 5 of 17 with complete ledgers
Received$9,112,367.12Cumulative, as each jurisdiction last certified to the State
Spent, verified$3,343,577.29Summed from the ledger rows published here
Non-conforming$422,537.05Classified against the Exhibit E gates
Misreported to the StateCertified against books conflict$120,967.71Certified figures the books do not support
Every figure is summed over the county government and 16 municipalities, from the published rows, in whole cents. A jurisdiction with no ledger adds nothing to spent.

The county government

Union County is a recipient in its own right. Its reports and its books are compared here the same way a municipality's are.

Received$3,625,450.64Cumulative, as last certified to the State
Paid$2,407,995.08Summed from the county ledger
Misreported to the StateCertified against books conflict$1,000.00Certified figures the county books do not support
CGrade C · provisional
Grade C · provisional · rubric v5Grade C · provisional
Reporting integrity · weight 50
89.98 / 100
Spending conformity · weight 40
50.01 / 100
Transparency · weight 10
70 / 100
Weighted score
71.99 · C
How grades work

16 municipalities

Graded jurisdictions first, sorted by dollars misreported to the State. The full column set lives in the statewide rankings.

Graded municipalities in Union County, sorted by dollars misreported to the State, largest first
GradeMunicipality and patternsSpent, verifiedMisreported to State
FGrade FClark Township
Funding-source substitution
44,964.26Certified against books conflict25,667.80
FGrade FRoselle6,327.56Certified against books conflict25,442.27
FGrade FCranford Township
Funding-source substitution · Police vehicles and gear · Surveillance technology
82,629.76Certified against books conflict23,749.70
DGrade DElizabeth
Funding-source substitution
93,533.06Certified against books conflict13,730.44
FGrade FSummit
Police vehicles and gear
55,807.65Certified against books conflict11,808.15
DGrade DWestfield
Fake encumbrances
47,289.20Certified against books conflict9,115.12
FGrade FUnion Township
Funding-source substitution · Fake encumbrances
189,980.73Certified against books conflict9,000.00
FGrade FScotch Plains Township2,542.92Certified against books conflict1,254.23
DGrade DLinden28,304.43Certified against books conflict200.00
AGrade ABerkeley Heights TownshipNo figure publishedNo figure published
FGrade FHillside Township
Funding-source substitution
1,100.00No figure published
DGrade DNew Providence
Funding-source substitution
33,145.99No figure published
DGrade DPlainfield269,218.18No figure published
FGrade FRahway28,442.78No figure published
BGrade BRoselle Park42,750.00No figure published
FGrade FSpringfield Township
Funding-source substitution
9,545.69No figure published

What recurs here

Each family below groups the jurisdictions in this county carrying a finding of the same shape. Counts are sized by how far the family reaches.

7

Funding-source substitution

Work previously paid from another fund moved onto the opioid account.

FGrade FFGrade FFGrade FDGrade D+3Findings
2

Fake encumbrances

An encumbrance certified to the State with no open commitment in the books.

FGrade FDGrade DFindings
2

Police vehicles and gear

Vehicles, upfits, body armor and equipment paid from opioid funds.

FGrade FFGrade FFindings
1

Surveillance technology

License plate readers, cameras and related subscriptions paid from opioid funds.

FGrade FFindings
Findings in Union County

The FY2023 report certifies 111,106.11 received and 200.00 expended as of 06/30/2023 (page 1). The FY2024 report certifies 214,554.82 received between 07/01/2023 and 06/30/2024, 1.00 of interest and 325,661.93 received since the distribution commenced in 2022, which is the sum of the three. It certifies 0.00 expended, 48,000.00 appropriated or encumbered and no transfer to the county. It then certifies 375,165.48 of unspent and uncommitted funds on hand (page 1). That is 49,503.55 more than everything the City says it has received. On the City's own figures, 325,661.93 received less 200.00 spent leaves 325,461.93, and 277,461.93 once the 48,000.00 encumbrance is set aside. The certified on-hand figure is 97,703.55 above that. The City's audit trail, printed 06/05/2026, shows no payment from the settlement accounts before 05/21/2025 and two open orders totaling 48,000.00 at 06/30/2024. A fund cannot hold more than was paid into it.

3 documents · 10/03/2026

The FY2024 report covers 07/01/2023 to 06/30/2024. It certifies a program named Opioid Educational Materials at 2,758.05 expended, funded 04/01/2024 (p4), and certifies 1,500.00 appropriated or encumbered but not yet spent (p1). Six ledger lines make the 2,758.05 to the cent. They are Journeyworks Publishing 165.00, check 93595 on 03/26/2024, Positive Promotions 183.50 and 26.95, check 93924 on 04/30/2024, Prevention Action Alliance 767.48, check 93928 on 04/30/2024, and 115.12, check 94685 on 07/26/2024, and C2R Global Manufacturing 1,500.00 on purchase order 24-02354 line 1, check 95322 on 10/08/2024. The C2R line was first encumbered on 07/23/2024, 23 days after the period closed. On 06/30/2024 the account audit trail shows two open orders, a Speak Sobriety order for 8,200.00, voided 07/23/2024, and the 115.12 shipping line. Neither is 1,500.00. The FY2025 report counts the same line a third time. It certifies Drug Disposal Pouches at 3,757.80, funded 07/23/2024, the day the C2R order was created (p5). The four C2R payments total 3,758.43. Without the 1,500.00 line they total 2,258.43, short of the certified figure. One 1,500.00 payment is certified as spent in FY2024, as encumbered in FY2024 and as spent in FY2025.

5 documents · 10/03/2026

The FY2026 report certifies 907,325.99 encumbered but not yet spent (p2, question 7) and 1,152,943.96 unspent and uncommitted on hand (p2, question 9), together 2,060,269.95. The same report certifies 3,625,450.64 received since 2022 (p1, question 3). The four reports certify 2,265,899.02 spent, 0.00 for FY2023, 27,768.84 for FY2024, 933,910.79 for FY2025 and 1,304,219.39 for FY2026. That leaves 1,359,551.62. The encumbered and unspent figures are 700,718.33 more than that. The books leave less. The account received 3,591,807.89 through 06/30/2026 and paid 2,266,899.02, which leaves 1,324,908.87. Money the reports count as spent cannot also be on hand or committed.

7 documents · 10/04/2026

The FY2026 report certifies 59,706.98 received since the distribution of opioid abatement funds began in 2022 (question 3, page 1). It certifies 0.00 spent in the year (question 6, page 1), and 0.00 encumbered and 0.00 in administrative expenses (questions 7 and 8, page 2). It certifies 61,113.80 of unspent funds the Township currently has on hand (question 9, page 2). The FY2023, FY2024 and FY2025 reports each certify 0.00 expended. With nothing spent in any year, the money on hand cannot exceed the money received. The report puts it 1,406.82 higher. The FY2025 report certified 50,626.88 on hand (question 9, page 1). The FY2026 figure is 10,486.92 higher, while the same report certifies 9,080.07 received in the year and 0.01 of interest, 9,080.08 together. The Township's produced revenue audit trails, printed 05/28/2026, record 49,747.17 of settlement receipts from 11/21/2022 to 05/05/2026. The report's figures cannot all be true.

4 documents · 10/03/2026

The FY2024 and FY2026 reports each certify one program, the 6th Grade Drug Prevention Program, under Primary Prevention, Education, and Training with the Schedule B strategy Prevent Misuse of Opioids. The FY2024 program is certified at 15,805.55 spent (p4) and the FY2026 program at 11,217.23 spent (p6). Each figure equals the payments on account 03-215-55-245-123 for the year to the cent, so the books show what the program bought. Food is 6,468.00 of it. Il Forno a Legna was paid 1,700.00 for 100 SNACK BOXES on purchase order 144120, check 144262 on 05/14/2024. Il Forno was paid 2,450.00 for FOOD FOR DRUG on purchase order 150389, check 149164 on 07/01/2025. R and J Pizzeria was paid 2,318.00 for FOOD FOR DRUG on purchase order 155745, check 155280 on 05/13/2026. The FY2026 report says a local food vendor provided food for attendees, and that Police and Health Department staff taught the program at no cost (p10). A 66.00 Il Forno order paid 07/01/2025 was journaled back off the account on 08/14/2025 and is not counted. No listed use covers catering or snacks, and no evidence-based program that the food serves is documented.

3 documents · 10/04/2026

The FY2026 report lists a new program named Employee Wellness 2026 at 3,088.26 funded and spent, recipient Borough of Roselle, funded and launched 04/09/2026 (pp4 to 6). It gives the primary problem as Opioid Education and the purpose as Provide opioid education and recovery resources, treatment information and recovery programs. It names municipal employees as the target, counts 125 people served, files the program under Primary Prevention, Education, and Training with the Schedule B strategy Training, and says it works through Awareness thru educational materials. Purchase order 26-00573 to RushOrder Tees, ordered 04/02/2026 and shipped to Human Resources, has two lines. Duffle Bags (200), described as Wellness Event, at 2,322.00 and Shipping at 766.26. RushOrder Tees invoice 4317349 bills 200 black Energy 17 inch duffel bags printed four colors on the front at 11.61 each, for delivery on 04/08/2026. Check 307 paid 3,088.26 on 05/13/2026, the certified figure to the cent. The order and invoice bill bags and delivery only. None of the 3,088.26 bought educational materials, treatment information, recovery resources or training, and no education program using the bags is documented.

4 documents · 10/03/2026

Documents
ledger2 filesOpen
purchase order3 filesOpen
dhs report4 filesOpen
Municipal records16 municipalitiesOpen
Correction from Union County jurisdictions

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 record
Frequently asked questions

Why does Union County appear twice, as a county and as its municipalities?

The county government and each municipality receive their own allocations and file their own reports. The county's grade covers its own books. The municipalities are graded separately and rolled up on this page.The rubric

Did the county pass any of its money down to the towns?

Where a county made subawards to municipalities, the payment appears in the county ledger as a transfer out and on the receiving town's page as money received. Both sides are shown from the documents.How we trace a transfer

Which Union County jurisdictions have not produced their records?

None has refused. Jurisdictions marked pending have a request inside the statutory window, and no letter grade is issued until the ledger is complete.Every town