$178M In Federal Aid Helps Fund Several Union County Projects

UNION COUNTY, NJ — The new $1.5 trillion spending bill from the federal government will bring $178 million in funding for New Jersey, which means Union County will get a piece of the pie for some upcoming projects.

In total, Union County will receive over $4.8 million to fund several municipal and county-wide projects, including a flood mitigation project for Berkeley Heights, additional communication towers throughout the county and much more.

The spending bill that President Joe Biden signed provides a substantial increase in spending for both domestic and national security but also sends $13.6 billion in emergency aid to Ukraine in its defense against the Russian invasion.

Read more: What $178 Million In Federal Money Will Do In New Jersey

Here's a breakdown of the local projects that will receive funding in Union County:

Union County will receive $1.3 million to install additional communication towers in the west to allow law enforcement agencies to communicate with each other.

Central Avenue Park in Hillside will get $250,000 worth of recreational equipment to create a spray park.

Elizabeth will receive $532,240 to replace the traffic lights at the intersection of Broad and Grand streets.

The YWCA in Elizabeth will also receive $500,000 to build a headquarters and provide services and emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence and their children.

Berkeley Heights will get $500,000 for the West Side Drainage Project, replacing an outdated water conveyance system.

Garwood will get $250,000 to resurface Second and Third avenues.

Union County College in Plainfield will receive $1.5 million for a professional trades training center.

Democratic Congressman Tom Malinowski, who represents NJ's 7th District, expressed his excitement about the federal funding on Twitter.

"For too many years, New Jersey has been getting less money back from Washington than we send in taxes," Malinowski said in a tweet. "Through the infrastructure bill and other efforts, we're starting to reverse that. I'll keep working hard to make sure the benefits come home to our district."

He also said he is glad to receive funding for the Berkeley Heights West Side Drainage Project to help protect residents from flooding. He said he looks forward to working with Mayor Angie Devanney and the town to get this project completed.

You can find an extended list of NJ community projects that will receive federal funding on Senator Bob Menendez's website.