Sussex Co. Officials Say Governor Denying Them COVID-19 Funds

SUSSEX COUNTY, NJ - Close to five months have passed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and the County of Sussex continues to wait for reimbursement from the Murphy Administration of more than $690,000, for monies the county spent from its own budget for COVID-19 expenses, including testing and personal protective equipment or PPE, according to officials.

Although on during the Governor’s office conference call July 31 with county officials throughout the state, New Jersey’s Department of Health announced it would be allocating $32.3 million to county and local health departments for testing sites, contact tracing and other COVID-19 related costs, with $13.7 million for county and $18.6 million to local health departments, no further details were released.

Sussex County is one of 12 counties that has been waiting on Governor Phil Murphy, who has claimed his delay is due to his request for guidance from federal officials on how to allocate $2.4 billion in unspent federal relief from the Coronavirus Relief Fund, with monies continuing to sit in a state bank account. With a population base under the 500,000 threshold, Sussex County was one of the New Jersey counties that did not qualify for direct federal aid through the CARES Act.

Freeholder Herbert Yardley sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence on April 6, Murphy on May 5 and Senate President Stephen Sweeney on June 4 about the county’s lack of federal funding to fight COVID-19, with no responses received.

“If we were a different county, there would be acknowledgment of these letters,” Yardley said. “I am disappointed the Governor has not even acknowledged them.”

Yardley also questioned what strings will be attached to the Department of Health’s announcement of proposed funding to county and local health departments.

“Being mistreated and abandoned by Trenton is nothing new for Sussex County,” said
Freeholder Josh Hertzberg. “But having Trenton directives cause the death of so many of our
most vulnerable population, while receiving no assistance, is more than abandoned, it’s a
message received loud and clear. If that doesn’t teach us to start becoming self-sufficient,
nothing will. We need to recognize that New Jersey is a financial sinking ship and make
financial solvency a priority in our county and townships.”

Freeholder Anthony Fasano said towns and businesses in Sussex County desperately need this funding.

“For whatever reason, the Governor is sitting on it. If this virus is a war, then he needs to give Sussex County the tools to defeat it," he said. "COVID-19 sees no county border or political affiliation. I can't say the same right now about the Governor's funding decisions."

Murphy has said at previous COVID-19 briefings that lack of federal guidance has caused a delay in the release of the money. Senator Steve Oroho and Assemblymen Parker Space and Hal Wirths dispute those claims.

John G. Donnadio, Executive Director of the New Jersey Association of Counties also urged the Governor in a June 30 letter to reimburse these counties for their expenses, noting county governments have “led the way on the front lines and played a vital role in providing essential services and protecting the public health, safety and welfare of residents across the Garden State during this once in a generation pandemic.”

On the heels of the fifth month without CARES funding, Sussex County residents who are receiving unemployment benefits, like others across the nation, are now faced with the discontinuation of the $600 weekly CARES payments. Residents receiving unemployment
now also face the termination of amnesty programs protecting them from eviction, foreclosure
and utility shutoffs.

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