Rumson Will Get $659.5K From Latest COVID Relief Bill

RUMSON, NJ - President Joe Biden has signed the $1.9 trillion federal coronavirus relief bill Thursday, and Rumson is set to receive a chunk of the funding.

Dubbed the American Rescue Plan, the package contains many provisions aimed at easing the ravages of the pandemic, such as $1,400 stimulus payments for most U.S. taxpayers, an extension of unemployment benefits and $360 billion allotted for state and local aid.

The state and local funding is focused on keeping essential workers on the job, assisting struggling families and small businesses, and making critical investments in regional infrastructure.

$1.82 billion will be split among the state's 21 county governments, and $1.74 billion divided among all 565 cities and municipalities. In the bill, which no Republican in Congress voted for, Monmouth County government alone will receive $120 million, while Rumson is slated to get $659,531.07.

And although some New Jersey representatives seemed thrilled at the prospect of additional funding to state and local governments, others were less enthusiastic.

"We'll take the money. If we don't take it, it will go to some other town that will spend it," state Senator Declan O'Scanlon, who represents Legislative District 13 (northern Monmouth County), told Patch. "But this is like a wildly irresponsible Christmas gift. Democrats in Washington dancing around like they're giving us a gift is really outrageous, because in reality they are taking from our children's and grandchildren's bank accounts and making us think they are doing us a favor. Nobody is talking about fiscal responsibility and the public doesn't want to hear it."

"It seems there is a lot of bloat in it but it is welcome relief for our towns and our citizens," Assemblywoman Serena DiMaso, who also represents LD-13, told Patch. "While I know there's always bloat, this time it seems to be a net positive for our towns."

Here’s how much Monmouth County municipalities were allotted:

Total to Municipalities: $79,337,951.80

• Aberdeen $1,899,025.12
• Allenhurst $47,446.16
• Allentown $174,362.18
• Asbury Park $10,316,556.62
• Atlantic Highlands $427,408.35
• Avon-by-the-Sea $175,148.03
• Belmar $544,697.62
• Bradley Beach $407,467.22
• Brielle $458,351.50
• Colts Neck $964,836.79
• Deal $70,628.96
• Eatontown $1,194,209.00
• Englishtown $187,819.99
• Fair Haven $563,459.97
• Farmingdale $133,006.41
• Freehold Borough $1,147,548.70
• Freehold Twp. $3,401,192.11
• Hazlet $1,931,638.22
• Highlands $463,066.65
• Holmdel $1,643,523.14
• Howell $5,103,359.88
• Interlaken $77,505.22
• Keansburg $946,172.67
• Keyport $685,366.14
• Lake Como $165,226.58
• Little Silver $567,978.65
• Loch Arbour $17,681.80
• Long Branch $12,517,310.03
• Manalapan $3,862,981.74
• Manasquan $570,336.22
• Marlboro $3,893,924.88
• Matawan $848,726.31
• Middletown $6,617,740.39
• Millstone $1,021,320.31
• Monmouth Beach $318,174.13
• Neptune City $451,475.25
• Neptune Twp. $2,689,990.89
• Ocean Twp. $2,607,279.37
• Oceanport $562,084.72
• Red Bank $1,175,446.65
• Roosevelt $82,122.13
• Rumson $659,531.07
• Sea Bright $131,434.70
• Sea Girt $173,379.85
• Shrewsbury $398,135.16
• Shrewsbury $97,544.59
• Spring Lake Heights $444,107.83
• Spring Lake $285,266.34
• Tinton Falls $1,714,250.33
• Union Beach $521,121.88
• Upper Freehold $695,189.36
• Wall Twp. $2,510,225.94
• West Long Branch $774,168.06

Counties or municipalities can put the relief funding towards COVID-related expenses, cover lost revenues due to the pandemic to maintain critical services and avoid layoffs of essential workers, provide assistance to residents and small businesses or invest in water, sewer and broadband infrastructure.

New Jersey will get roughly $6.43 billion in state aid, plus an added $189 million for broadband internet infrastructure improvements.

The formula for state and local funding targets federal resources to areas with the "greatest need," relying heavily on the number of unemployed people in each state, according to a joint statement from Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker.

"Our state and local governments have been on the frontlines of the fight against COVID-19," Menendez said in a statement. "They have been bleeding resources for over a year while costs have soared and revenues have plummeted. As a result, they have borne the brunt of the economic pain and desperately need help."

With reporting by Eric Kiefer and Carly Baldwin.