Brick Could Receive $1.2M Under State's Sandy Aid Program, Christie Says

BRICK, NJ -- On Monday, Brick Township officials will start filling out documentation to apply for the town's share of a $42 million aid program Gov. Chris Christie announced Friday for areas still recovering from Superstorm Sandy.

Christie said the aid would come through the state's Non-Federal Cost Share Match program, and will allow local government entities — including the township and Ocean County government — to apply for reimbursement of their share of money spent during the immediate aftermath of the storm.

“Following Superstorm Sandy, communities faced tremendous rebuilding, emergency protective and resiliency costs, and even though FEMA paid 90 percent of the cost, the 10 percent local portion was close to or exceeded $1 million for some municipalities, resulting in a financial burden for local governments and their taxpayers,” Christie said. “Rather than see property taxes increase in these hard-hit communities, the State is stepping in to cover these costs through this newly expanded Match Program.”

Brick Township is eligible for up to $1.2 million through the program, according to a news release that accompanied Christie's announcement. Ocean County government is eligible for up to $10 million, he said.

"The announcement that we are receiving $1.2 million is great news for the taxpayers of Brick," Brick Township Mayor John Ducey said Friday. "We still have $357 million in ratables off the books and this money will help with the gap because of those lost taxes."

Business Administrator Joanne Bergin said the township had requested $1 million in assistance when it applied for Essential Services grants, so the news that the township is eligible for $1.2 million is very good news.

The Match Program will reimburse government entities for the 10 percent of emergency expenses they incurred in the immediate aftermath of Sandy that were not paid for by FEMA, Christie said.

Speaking at the East Dover Fire Company firehouse, Christie said the decision to open the Match Program — which has been used by state agencies for Sandy recovery — to towns was a response to the refusal in June by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to extend another round of Essential Services grants to Sandy communities.

In Brick, the Essential Services grants have helped bridge the gap for both the township and the school district as properties are slowly returned to the tax rolls in town. Hundreds of the township's properties have yet to be fully restored to the tax rolls, as people slog through the process of lifting homes under the Reconstruction, Rehabilitation, Elevation, and Mitigation (RREM) Program.

The funding for the Match Program comes from federal Community Development Block Grant funds the state received for Sandy recovery, Christie said.

"The $42 million was part of our (Sandy recovery) action plan, so it can be distributed immediately, without federal approval," Christie said, meaning the township can receive the funds in short order, as soon as the documentation is filed.

The Match Program funds have been used by state agencies to cover the match for Sandy recovery activities from road repairs and improvements to water and wastewater treatment rehabilitation, the governor's office said in a news release.

Up to 405 local government entities may be eligible for reimbursement of their 10 percent cost share for 1,055 Sandy recovery projects, which resulted in the $42 million set-aside for the program.

Brick Township officials have held off adopting the township's budget in anticipation of receiving additional funding, and the tentative budget includes a 1.5-cent tax increase, but it does not include the impact of the additional aid. Bergin said Tuesday during the Township Council meeting that the budget would be adopted as soon as the funding figure was solidified.

Ducey said the township has increased building department personnel "so that we can move residents through the permitting and inspection process faster."

"This money will be used to offset those additional costs," he said.

Gov. Chris Christie speaks at the East Dover Fire Company firehouse on Friday. Karen Wall photo