Bridgewater, NJ – The Bridgewater Township Council unanimously passed a Resolution expressing disappointment in the lack of federal stimulus funds coming to Bridgewater Township and called on the Township’s federal representatives to advocate for any future stimulus or aid for Bridgewater Township to help minimize the impacts of this crisis on its residents and property taxpayers.

$82.2 million of the $2.2 Trillion stimulus bill has been allocated to the State of New Jersey along with various counties and to municipalities with populations of at least 50,000, but Bridgewater received no funding because it misses the threshold at 45,000 residents.

“In addition to the devastating loss of life in Bridgewater from the COVID-19 pandemic, 28 souls as of today, we are also taking it on the chin financially through a tax revenue reduction of as much as $1.8 million and at least $250,000 in increased expenses,” said Councilman Michael Kirsh. “Governments and agencies throughout this region are raising their hands asking for help. We don’t have a daily televised press conference to make our plea. So instead, this resolution asks our Federal representatives, Senators Menendez and Booker and Congressman Malinowski, to fight for the needs of Bridgewater and hundreds of municipalities like us that have been bypassed to date, despite allocation of a whopping $2.2 Trillion in aid.”

Mayor Matthew Moench added,”I am in lockstep with the Council on this Resolution and I thank Councilman Kirsh for his leadership on it. Bridgewater has a population of 45,000; 5,000 short of the requirement to receive funding in this tranche of money. As the largest municipality in our Congressional District, I would have expected a better result. I implore our federal representatives to fight harder for Bridgewater as additional funding becomes available.”

Please see below for the full text of the Resolution:

A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING DISAPPOINTMENT IN THE LACK OF FEDERAL STIMULUS MONEY BEING AWARDED TO BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP (TO DATE) AND REQUEST FOR CONSIDERATION FOR FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDS THAT MAY BE AWARDED IN THE FUTURE

WHEREAS, In March 2020 the United States House of Representatives and United States Senate passed S. 3548, a $2.2 Trillion “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act” also known as the “CARES

Act”; and

WHEREAS, a stated intention of the CARES Act was to provide relief to individuals, businesses, agencies, and governments to account for negative financial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, Bridgewater Township, with a population of 45,000, has experienced and is projecting a combination of higher expenses (at least $250,000) and reduced revenue (as much as $1.8 Million) directly attributable to the COVID-19 crisis; and

WHEREAS, the aforementioned impacts will require Bridgewater Township’s Mayor and Township Council to not only reduce expenses but to considerably increase the amount raised by taxation to develop a 2020 budget; and

WHEREAS, $82.2 million of the $2.2 Trillion stimulus bill has been allocated to the State of New Jersey along with various counties and to municipalities with populations of at least 50,000, but nothing for Bridgewater Township;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Bridgewater Township Council expresses its profound disappointment that Bridgewater Township’s financial needs, and those of every other New Jersey municipality with fewer than 50,000 residents, have not been accommodated to date within the $2.2 Trillion CARES Act; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Bridgewater Township Council expresses to its elected Federal representatives (U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, U.S. Senator Cory Booker, and Congressman Tom Malinowski) its strong desire that any future stimulus or aid accounts for the needs of Bridgewater Township to help minimize the impact of this crisis on its residents and property taxpayers; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this resolution be transmitted electronically to the offices of U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, U.S. Senator Cory Booker, Congressman Tom Malinowski, State Senator Mike Doherty, Assemblyman John DiMaio, Assemblyman Erik Peterson, the Clerk of the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders, and the Administrator of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District.