Berkeley Officials Hope To Recoup Between $400,000 To $600,000 In Sandy Relief Funds, Mayor Says

It's been nearly four years since Superstorm Sandy slammed into Ocean County, but the aftermath of the devastating storm is still felt in a number of New Jersey towns, including Berkeley Township.

So Mayor Carmen F. Amato will use the $400,000 to $600,000 he expects the township to recoup in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Funds by plugging the money into the 2017 budget.

Berkeley was one of a number of municipalities that qualified for Federal Emergency Management Agency funds after it was deemed a disaster area in late 2012. Berkeley borrowed over $6 million to use for after-storm clean-up costs. The township has been paying back a share of the borrowed funds each year since the storm.

Berkeley's disaster costs exceeded the 75 percent reimbursement ceiling, which then made it eligible for 90 percent reimbursement.

Gov. Chris Christie announced recently that the state planned to set aside $42 million to cover the remaining 10 percent reimbursement costs for the most severely affected municipalities.

"This is great news for Berkeley Township" Amato said. "We will aggressively purse reimbursement of our ten percent cost share for Superstorm Sandy. As a Sandy-impacted community, still struggling with the financial aftermath, any additional funding is certainly welcomed."

The township has been paying back $1.2 million each year in the special emergency funds. There's one payment left for 2017.

Image: Patricia A. Miller