The Secaucus Town Council has approved a resolution accepting part of its allocation of COVID-19 recovery funds from the federal American Rescue Plan (ARP).
The council voted unanimously to accept the monies at its Oct. 26 meeting. The resolution authorized the insertion of the $1,145,754.33 in federal funds into the 2021 budget, according to Town Administrator Gary Jeffas.
“Based on the monies that were released from the American Rescue Plan, Secaucus is going to get about $2.2 million,” Jeffas said.
According to Jeffas, the town will receive the same amount next year for the 2022 budget, equaling $2,291,508.66 total received in ARP money.
“The way the government is issuing them is that it’s over two budget years,” Jeffas said. “So this year we get $1.1 million and then next year we get the same.”
And the town needs it. Revenue has decreased due to the pandemic, according to Jeffas.
Addressing budget shortcomings
“We’ve had budget deficits from COVID-19, from the lack of parking tax and hotel tax,” Jeffas said. “Recreation fees are down at the town pool, etcetera. So we’ve had a budget shortage. There’s other fees that amount and possibly more at the end of the day.”
This federal money will help address the budgetary issues, he said.
“Thankfully, that money can come in and be applied to those budget shortfalls,” Jeffas said. “So its good news we’re getting back those funds and then we will get them again in 2022.”
Secaucus’s $2.2 million was part of a larger $424,614,802 of ARP funding allocated to Hudson County.
Of the roughly $424.6 million allocated to Hudson, the county government received $130.4 million. The other $294 million went to municipalities. Jersey City received the most funds at about $145.8 million, followed by Bayonne with $39.2 million, Hoboken with $27.2 million, West New York with $26.8 million, Union City with $26.4 million, North Bergen with $17.8 million, Kearny with $4 million, Secaucus with $2.2 million, Harrison with $2 million, Weehawken with $1.4 million, Guttenberg with $1.1 million, and East Newark with $255,403.
The next meeting of the Secaucus Town Council will be on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at Town Hall at 1203 Paterson Plank Road. For more information, go to secaucusnj.gov.
For updates on this and other stories, check www.hudsonreporter.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at disrael@hudsonreporter.com.
