Politics & Government

Gov. Christie Touts Sandy Grant Program in Toms River

Township received $28 million between municipal and school district Essential Services Grant awards

Gov. Chris Christie visited Toms River Wednesday to speak about a grant program that officials have said saved residents from a 30 to 40 percent property tax increase.

Toms River has received a combined $28 million in Essential Services Grant funding between township and school district awards, according to the governor’s office. That money helped to balance an 18 percent drop in Toms River’s ratables base following Superstorm Sandy’s devastation.

Christie, joined by Toms River Mayor Thomas Kelaher and Chief of Police Michael Mastronardy, spoke about the grant program during a press conference at township’s police department headquarters Wednesday afternoon.

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“The needs of New Jersey's hardest hit municipalities can place a heavy burden on city budgets and local officials,” Christie said in prepared remarks. “As many communities now face difficult budget decisions, we are confident that the Essential Services Grant program will help keep essential services running while the recovery process continues. These grants will ensure that Toms River residents continue to have access to local public works, emergency and education services that are so vital to their own recovery.”

Officials said that a $15.5 million Essential Services Grant is helping the township prevent layoffs, maintain its public works services and continue its financial support of volunteer emergency first aid squads, while continuing to provide critical police, public works, education and emergency first aid services. 

Find out what's happening in Toms Riverwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"I know that this grant that the governor is going to announce is going to help us stabilize and rebuild," Mastronardy said, adding that his force is already down officers and could have lost more by next year without the funding. 

An additional $12.5 million grant was awarded to the Toms River Board of Education to maintain education services to students, according to the governor’s office.

Without the grants, Toms River officials would have faced laying off about 25 percent of its police force and the public works staff responsible for residential trash and recycling pickups, according to the governor’s office. The money also went toward avoiding cutbacks to volunteer first aid squads and lessen service reimbursements to private homeowner associations.

“The demand for essential services in Toms River has actually increased based on the need of the police department and the public works department to continue Sandy-related safety and cleanup efforts on the barrier island and along the mainland waterfront,” said Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Richard E. Constable, III, in a statement. “We are pleased that more than $28 million in Essential Services funding is aiding the community’s recovery efforts and helping residents return to some semblance of normalcy.”

Of the $60 million available for the program, $44 million has been dispensed thus far, Christie said, and applications from municipalities still are being considered.

Christie cautioned that municipalities should not count on receiving the same amount of funding next year, though it is possible they may.

“We’re dealing with it one year at a time,” he said.

Toms River officials have said that they are aware the same funding may not be available next year, but are hopeful that the diminished ratables base will begin to recover.


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