Since March Sussex County has spent $690,000 for Covid-19 testing and personal protective equipment. The money came directly from the county budget. According to a press release from the Sussex County Freeholders not a penny of that money has been reimbursed by the state of New Jersey. Even though $2.4 billion dollars of Covid-19 relief money from the federal government sits in a state bank account. Sussex County does not quality for direct relief under the CARES Act because the population base is under 500.000. Sussex is one of the 12 New Jersey counties still waiting for the state to release the federal funds. On Friday, during a conference call with county officials from around New Jersey the state health department said some of that money would be allocated to counties for testing. The Murphy Administration says they are waiting for guidance from the federal government on how to do that. However, Senator Steve Oroho and Assemblyman Parker Space dispute the Governor's claim. The state legislators say guidance from the federal Government came last June. In the release, Freeholder Herb Yardley says he's concerned about what "strings will be attached" to releasing the federal money. Freeholder Anthony Fasano also quoted in the release said: "Our towns and businesses in Sussex County desperately need this funding. For whatever reason the Governor is sitting on it. If this virus is war. Then he needs to give Sussex County the tools to defeat it. Covid-19 sees no county border or political affiliation. I can't say the same right now about the governor's funding decisions."
Source: Sussex County Freeholder Board