Bridgewater Receives 545K from New Jersey’s CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund

Bridgewater, NJ – Yesterday, January 5th, Bridgewater Township received $545,860 from the Local Government Emergency Fund through the New Jersey’s CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF).

These funds were available to municipalities who, according to the application, were “excluded from the federal government’s direct CRF allocation plan, as well as those counties and municipalities that are currently the most impacted in comparison to their available resources, are eligible for Local Government Emergency Funds. Their maximum distribution is determined by formula. The counties and municipalities eligible to receive CRF funds, and their respective maximum funding eligibility is determined using an allocation formula based on variety of pertinent metrics including:

• The local COVID-19 infection rate
• Population
• Fiscal stress
• Municipal Revitalization Index
• Public safety, public health, and human services-related expenditures as percentage of total budget”

Through an extensive and detailed application process, Bridgewater submitted nearly $800,000 in eligible COVID-19 related expenditures, which ensured that the Township would receive its maximum allowable allocation of $545,860.

“I would like to thank our hard working and dedicated Township staff who were diligent enough to realize all of the funds that the Township was eligible for through this program,” said Mayor Matthew Moench. “From employee time to additional materials that were needed to fight this pandemic in 2020, we could have submitted hundreds of thousands more for reimbursement than this program allowed, and I certainly hope that more funds become available in the future. COVID-19 has affected our Township’s finances in so many ways and it will not be a short or easy recovery. However, having opportunities like this, and a professional staff to execute them, is a critical to ensuring that we do not unnecessarily burden our taxpayers, many of whom are struggling with their own finances.”