Gov. Murphy Provides $60 Million Dollar COVID Relief Fund

Governor Phil Murphy has announced a $60 million COVID relief fund for select New Jersey counties.

The money will be appointed to local government entities who did not receive help from the
federal government’s initial coronavirus relief plan, according to a news release.
The counties included in this CRF plan are Atlantic, Burlington, Cape May, Cumberland,
Gloucester, Hunterdon, Mercer, Morris, Salem, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren.

The funding will help with the unexpected increased cost of health and human services, public
safety, overtime, equipment, and supplies due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Allocations for this plan varies. According to the Department of Community Affairs, Mercer
County will receive $12.5 million. And Hunterdon County will get about $900,000, according to
the release.

To determine how funds will be allocated to each county, a formula including statistics about
COVID-19 infection rate, town population, fiscal stress, and mandatory expenditures has all
been taken into account.

The New Jersey Department of Human Services has provided about $10 million to the
Coronavirus Relief Fund to support the Boards of Social Services with COVID-related expenses
such as technology to adapt to increased remote work.

The federal government’s funding plan, known as the CARES Act, did allocate money to the
state of New Jersey, but many counties were overlooked. Until now citizens of these
municipalities were the sole providers for their coronavirus crisis funding.

“We know these funds will be a welcome lifeline of support for essential government services
and New Jersey’s taxpayers,” Murphy says.

Department of Community Affairs Lieutenant Governor Sheila Y. Oliver says, “We will work to
distribute this relief funding equitably and fairly to our communities as we rebuild the State’s
economy. No one will be left behind.”

Although the money will only be distributed to a select few counties, it will even the field of
funds awarded to everyone- now with all 21 counties being served.

The funds awarded to these local government entities may only cover the expenditures incurred
during the period between March 1, 2020 and December 30, 2020.