Long Branch To Get $12.5 Million In 2nd COVID Relief Act

LONG BRANCH, NJ — Towns and counties across America are getting a massive windfall in federal cash under the $1.9 trillion second COVID relief bill, signed into law by President Joe Biden on Thursday.

This is more money from Washington than New Jersey towns were given even after Sandy. Long Branch is getting $12.5 million. Asbury Park is getting $10 million. Eatowntown will get $1.1 million. The city of New Brunswick will get $21.6 million.

How will towns spend it? As the bill was just passed this week, most municipalities are still trying to figure that out. The Asbury Park Press reported today that Monmouth County may use the money to give towns a property tax break.

"We are waiting for guidelines from the federal government for how we can use this money. We are very pleased we are going to get this money to improve Long Branch and we are going to use these federal funds to help the community," said Long Branch Mayor John Pallone (D).

Federal funding like this is usually spent on one-time capital projects, such as town road repairs (fixing pot holes), large-scale park and playground improvements, beach improvements, building or maintenance of government buildings, such as building a new town hall, police station or fire house, or to make improvements to playing fields and recreation areas.

Advocates for the restaurant industry cheered this week, saying the money will help them recover from a devastating year. Not only were people scared to live life as normal due to the virus, but the government also forced lockdowns and business restrictions, such as limits on restaurant capacity.

Central Jersey Democrats said the relief bill had to be passed mostly because of a feared loss in tax revenues.

“State and local governments have been hit hard by this pandemic, facing devastating budget shortfalls that threaten vital day-to-day programs," said this area's Democratic Congressman, Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ6). (He and Long Branch mayor are brothers.) "First responders, teachers and public servants across our state are risking their lives to serve our communities. We cannot let state and local governments fall into bankruptcy as they provide our cities and towns with critical services."

However, Republicans strongly disagreed.

"There was a need (for COVID relief)," said Monmouth County state Senator Declan O'Scanlon, (R-NJ13). "But a fraction of this, under half of what was passed (in the act). In many areas, New Jersey is booming. Our tax revenues are almost fully recovered. This prediction of doom and gloom that Gov. Murphy is trying to portray is not reality. It's just an outrageous and not-needed sum of money."

No Republican in Congress voted for the second COVID relief act. Republicans said they are concerned about inflation and also a ballooning national deficit.

The money is supposed to be used for COVID recovery, but the U.S. Treasury Department has yet to issue guidelines on how the money can be spent.

As the bill read, "funds are available until December 31, 2024 to respond to the pandemic or its negative economic impacts, including assistance to households and small businesses; hazard pay for essential workers; water, sewer or broadband infrastructure investments; or the replacement of revenue lost compared to the most recent full fiscal year prior to the pandemic.”

O'Scanlon called it an "astronomical" amount of money.

"We'll take the money. If we don't take it, it will go to some other town that will spend it," he said. "But this is like a wildly irresponsible Christmas gift. Democrats in Washington dancing around like they're giving us a gift is really outrageous, because in reality they are taking from our children's and grandchildren's bank accounts and making us think they are doing us a favor."

"Nobody is talking about fiscal responsibility and the public doesn't want to hear it."

From Congressman Pallone's office, here is the money local towns in his district (NJ 6) are getting:

Middlesex County $160 million
Monmouth County $120 million
Asbury Park $10 million
Edison $14.8 million
Long Branch $12.5 million
Middletown $6.7 million
New Brunswick $21.6 million
Old Bridge $6.7 million
Perth Amboy $16 million
Sayreville $5.5 million
Woodbridge $17 million
Aberdeen Township $1,899,025
Allenhurst $47,446
Atlantic Highlands $427,408
Deal $70,629
Hazlet $1,931,638
Highlands $463,067
Interlaken $77,505
Keansburg $946,173
Keyport $685,366
Loch Arbour $17,682
Marlboro $3,893,925
Matawan $848,726
Monmouth Beach $318,174
Ocean Port $562,085
Sea Bright $131,435
Union Beach $512,122
West Long Branch $774,168
Carteret $2,229,420
Highland Park $1,346,862
Metuchen $1,428,591
Piscataway $5,583,224
South Plainfield $2,362,681

See how much every town in New Jersey will get here: https://patch.com/new-jersey/m...

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