Stafford Still Waiting For Bulk Of Sandy Clean-Up Money From State

Written by Keith Brown and Patricia A. Miller

In the first nine months since Superstorm Sandy hit area towns, millions have been doled out to offset costs of cleanup and removal in some of the hardest hit areas.

But some area officials say the funds are not getting here fast enough.

The state Office of Emergency Management - which has been distributing the federal money to towns throughout the state, - recently reported figures that cover payments to municipalities, other public entities and some eligible private companies statewide through July 30.

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The figures are actual dollars received by municipalities to cover emergency costs, not requests made or applications still in the pipeline, OEM officials said Tuesday.

Moran estimated the total debris removal and clean-up operations could total between $8 million and $10 million, with a 90 percent reimbursement for Stafford's share.

"In the end if the overall (final) debris removal cost is $10 million, Stafford would be responsible for $1 million," he said. "I caution that we do not have the final county figures, so it is impossible for me to give you anything other than an estimated number."

Line items represent payment for specific requests for itemized claims listed in the full report, which can be found by clicking here.

Ocean County government acts as the centralized administrator for doling out grants, so the county's municipalities may appear to have smaller amounts than other regions. Here is the list of Ocean County towns and what they received as of July 30: