NJ Town 'Wasted' $632K Of Opioid Settlement Money On Concerts, Officials Allege

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A new report is accusing Irvington’s mayor and other town officials of spending funds that were supposed to be put to work battling the opioid epidemic on a “slush fund” for concerts and parties.

Irvington Township officials told Patch that they are “vehemently denying” the allegations from the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller (OSC), which were announced on Tuesday.

According to the comptroller’s office, Irvington is one of many towns and cities in New Jersey that have received funding from settlements the state has reached with pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors. The township – which is one of the largest in Essex County – has gotten more than $1 million in funds so far.

However – instead of using the funds for prevention, treatment or recovery efforts – Irvington town officials decided to hold two “awareness concerts” in 2023 and 2024, the comptroller’s office said.

The cost? A whopping $632,000, the OSC reported.

State officials are accusing Irvington of spending $368,500 of the money to hire music acts for the concerts. According to the OSC, another $205,163 was spent on promoting the events, nearly $13,000 was spent on renting luxury VIP trailers for the talent, and thousands of dollars were spent on items such as generators, an ice maker, a popcorn machine, a cotton candy machine, four flavors of shaved ice, a hot food display stand and catered food (see a full list of expenditures here).

The comptroller’s office also accused Irvington officials of violating state procurement law by awarding a pair of contracts valued at $368,500 to businesses tied to a township employee, who was in charge of securing music talent for the concerts.

“These funds are supposed to be lifelines for communities overwhelmed by the opioid epidemic – not a slush fund to host concerts and throw parties,” acting state comptroller Kevin Walsh said.

“Irvington wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars that should have been used to save lives and help people recover from addiction,” Walsh alleged.

Read the OSC's full report here.

MAYOR: ‘WE DID NOTHING WRONG’

Irvington officials blasted the comptroller’s report when reached for comment on Tuesday.

“With all due respect to the OSC, they know nothing about my community and the people within it,” Irvington Mayor Anthony Vauss said.

“This initiative is about saving lives and bringing people together to eliminate the stigma associated with addiction,” Vauss said. “We maintain that we did nothing wrong, and while the OSC may feel differently, they have no right to misrepresent our finances in this investigation.”

Township spokespeople shared a list of documents that they say backs up their claims (see the documents below or view them online here).

According to a statement from Irvington officials, there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to this week’s report from the comptroller’s office:

“The OSC's report contains numerous false statements and inaccuracies that do not reflect the truth of our actions. Each time we have provided the OSC with documentation and evidence supporting our position, this information has been dismissed without proper consideration. It is essential to clarify that the Township of Irvington has adhered to all legal requirements and procedures in the management of these funds.”

Town officials continued:

“Notably, a letter from [Mayor Tony Vauss], on behalf of the township, dated May 29, 2024, outlines the rationale behind the professional services contracts for the opioid awareness events. This letter details the legal justifications, ethical considerations, and the cultural benefits of using concerts as a platform for opioid awareness. The mayor's comprehensive explanation highlights the positive impact these events have had on our community, aiming to save lives and reduce the stigma associated with addiction.”

Vauss defended the awareness concerts in his letter to Walsh and the comptroller’s office, arguing that staging shows and rallying celebrities are good ways to reach people who have been impacted by the opioid crisis.

Concerts can attract large audiences in a “non-stigmatizing” environment, the mayor suggested – especially when they involve performers who have addressed addiction in their music. Meanwhile, large events like concerts provide a platform for local health organizations, nonprofits and other advocates fighting against the opioid crisis.

Irvington officials pointed to similar awareness events that tapped celebrity talent, including a “Knock Out Opioid Abuse Concert” held in Morristown, and a concert featuring Keith Urban in Connecticut.

As part of the concerts in Irvington, services such as naloxone (Narcan) training and live consultations with Rutgers-affiliated clinicians were provided, township officials said.

According to Vauss, at least four people sought treatment on-site at the events, and “hundreds more” received information about prevention and recovery resources.

Other claims raised in Vauss’s letter included:

• Using the funds for concerts was permissible under the extraordinary unspecifiable services exception (which allows for the acquisition of services of an “artistic character,” such as the music acts hired for the shows)
• Some of the costs were “standard goods and services” that came under the town’s bid threshold of $44,000 – and no competitive contract was required
• The township employee who was in charge of securing music talent for the concerts doesn’t own the business in question (he is a family member)
• Cancelling the concerts would have exposed the township to potential legal liability and lawsuits

Vauss reached out to Gov. Phil Murphy and Senate President Nicholas Scutari with a letter in May, expressing his “grave concerns” about the allegations from the comptroller’s office.

The mayor accused the OSC of conducting investigations with a “predetermined narrative,” taking statements out of context, and releasing information to the media with an intent to “embarrass its targets.”

Irvington officials have since filed a lawsuit for defamation against the comptroller’s office, which is currently pending in court.

“We are prepared to defend ourselves vigorously and seek justice for the mischaracterization of our efforts,” town spokespeople said.

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COMPTROLLER: ‘WASTING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS’

The comptroller’s office has questioned the explanations from Irvington officials, however.

“Although the concerts were billed as ‘opioid awareness’ events, the promotional materials Irvington provided to the OSC had no information about addiction or how to obtain treatment – they only promoted the artists, the mayor and the concerts,” the comptroller’s office alleged.

“Irvington officials claimed that thousands attended and the mayor and others delivered substantive public health speeches at both concerts, but Irvington provided little evidence to support these claims,” the OSC reported.

“Irvington also claimed that Narcan—a life-saving drug—was distributed at both events,” the comptroller’s office added. “The OSC found no evidence that it was distributed at the 2023 event. And in 2024, just five days before the concert, the township asked a nonprofit to donate 50 Narcan kits. The township did not use any of its opioid funds to purchase Narcan.”

While the township did invite service providers to set up tables and interact with members of the public at the 2024 event, it was an “afterthought” that could have also been done at any other community event – “without wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on musical guests, luxury trailers and popcorn machines,” the OSC claimed.

State officials said they tried to reach out to Irvington officials about their concerns – and were eventually served with a lawsuit:

“After learning of the improper opioid procurements in early 2024, the OSC sent a confidential advisory letter to Irvington on May 21, 2024, recommending Irvington cancel its June 8, 2024 concert, recoup public funds, and rebid any future services. Irvington declined, held the concert, and later allocated additional opioid funds for planning a 2025 event. Nearly a year later, when the OSC sent a draft of the report for review and comment, Irvington responded first by suing for defamation. Since then, Irvington has taken extraordinary legal actions to block the OSC from releasing the report, including requesting—and being granted—a court order temporarily restraining the OSC, the governor and legislative leaders from distributing the report. The appellate court later lifted the order, and in a decision released [Tuesday], the New Jersey Supreme Court rejected Irvington's appeal—clearing the way for the OSC to release the report.”

This week’s report isn’t the first time that the comptroller’s office has accused Irvington of failing to responsibly manage taxpayer funds, state officials added:

“The OSC’s first audit of Irvington, in 2009, found the general ledger was out of balance by $59.7 million. The OSC made 21 recommendations and, two years later, found 13 had not been fully implemented. A 2023 follow-up review examined documentation from 2017 through 2023 and found minimal progress and possible self-dealing in Irvington. The township council spent at least $200,000 over five years leasing office space from a company that is partly owned by the CFO. This company was also the sole bidder. OSC recommended that the state appoint a fiscal monitor to ensure Irvington implements corrective actions.”

As of Tuesday, a monitor has not been appointed, the OSC said.

• See Related: Irvington’s ‘Sloppy’ Finances Need To Change, State Officials Allege
• See Related: ‘Die-In’ At NJ Statehouse Protests $45M Diversion Of Opioid Funds To Hospitals
• See Related: NJ Overdose Deaths Shift Dramatically, New Data Shows

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