$3.5M “Emergency” Storm Bond Now Likely to Fall on Berkeley Heights Taxpayers

In an unsigned Township article published August 26, an unnamed township representative confirmed one material fact- New Jersey is unlikely to meet the FEMA threshold for disaster funding, which means the $3.5 million bond ordinance passed on August 19 falls back on Berkeley Heights families if any of it is used.

NJ21st tried to make this clear during the August 19 Council meeting through pointed questions to both the Mayor and Council.

This update brings up several questions – especially with emergency work already underway and larger drainage projects being mixed into the Township’s storm-water narrative:

• What is the max. amount the Township realistically expects to borrow from the $3.5M bond, and what criteria will be used in making that decision?
• Will residents get a line-item accounting of every dollar borrowed?
• How close is New Jersey to the FEMA disaster threshold? Has the Township or Union County appealed or resubmitted damages?
• What other reimbursement sources (state emergency funds, county programs, Infrastructure Bank, Resilient NJ) are being actively pursued?
• Will the Township produce a running ledger for residents that clearly identifies bond-funded projects, amounts spent, and what remains authorized but unspent?
• Who wrote the August 26 update? Will future updates include a clear byline or department attribution?

The unnamed township representative insists that the town will borrow “as little as possible,” relying first on leftover road and drainage money. But once a bond is authorized, the funds are available with residents responsible for paying it back with interest.

For now, the unnamed township representative has confirmed that FEMA funding is unlikely and that taxpayers are the fallback plan. With bond approved and contracts already being awarded residents deserve clear answers before the debt comes due.

For reference, here are the streets the Township is already repairing with “emergency” funding.

Editor’s Note

The following statement was issued by the Township of Berkeley Heights on August 26, 2025. It is an unsigned, unattributed release, which means it does not meet NJ21st’s transparency standards for publication as a full article.

Government press releases are considered public records intended for broad distribution, and outlets republish them directly. While NJ21st makes such documents available for reference, we do not present unattributed government communications as our own reporting.

Our policy is to clearly label the source of any material we share so readers know whether they are reviewing independent reporting or an official government statement.

Unsigned Township Statement

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Here is our Wiki on the entire Bond process.