The Secaucus Town Council has approved a resolutio♉n accepting part of its alloca𝔍tion of COVID-19 recovery funds from the federal American Rescue Plan (ARP).
The council voted unanimously to accept the monies at its Oct. 26 meeting. The resolution authorized the insertion of the $1,145,754.33 in federal funds into the 2021 budget, according to Town Administrator Gary Jeffas.
“Based on the monies that were released from the American Rescue Plan, Secaucus is going to get about $2.2 million,” Jeffas said.
According to Je🎃ffas, the town will receive the 𓆏same amount next year for the 2022 budget, equaling $2,291,508.66 total received in ARP money.
“The way the government is issuing them is that it’s over two budget years,” Jeffas said. “So this year we get $1.1 million and then next year we get the same.”
And the town🐠 needs it. Revenue has decreased due to the pandemic❀, according to Jeffas.
Addressing budget shortcomings
“We’ve had budget deficits from COVID-19, from the lack of parking tax and hotel tax,” Jeffas said. “Recreation fees are down at the town pool, etcetera. So we’ve had a budget shortage. There’s other fees that amou🔥nt and possibly more at the end of the day.”
This federal money will help addr🌠ess the budgetary issues, he said.
“Thankfully, that money can come in and be ap🌠plied to those budget shortfalls,” Jeffas said. “So its good news we’re getting back those funds and then we will get them again in 2022.”
Secaucus’s $2.2 million was part of a larger $424,614,802 of ARP funding allocated to Hudson County.
Of the roughly $424.6 million allocated to Hudson, the county government received $130.4 million. The other $294 million went to municipalities. Jersey City received the most funds at about $145.8 million, followed by Bayonne with $39.2 million, Hoboken with $27.2 million, West New York with $26.8 million, Union City with $26.4 million, North Bergen with $17.8 million, Kearny with $4 million, Secaucus with $2.2 million, Harrison with $2 million, Weehawken with $1.4 million, Guttenberg with $1.1 million, and East Ne𓂃wark with $255,403.
The next meeting of the Secaucus Town Council will be on No🐲v. 9 at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at T🦋own Hall at 1203 Paterson Plank Road. For more information, go to .
For updates on this and other stories, check www.iccwins98.com and follow us on Twitter @hudson_reporter. Daniel Israel can be reached at [email protected].
