Investigation Finds Irvington Wasted More Than $600,000 in Opioid Settlement Funds on Two “Awareness” Concerts
Irvington also improperly awarded six-figure contracts to a Township employee’s family businesses, OSC found.
PRESS CONTACT: Pamela.Kruger@osc.nj.gov
TRENTON—Without consulting health experts, public safety officials, or residents, Irvington Township leaders blew through $632,000 in opioid settlement funds by holding two “Opioid Awareness” concerts, a new report by the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) finds.
Irvington is one of many municipalities to receive opioid funds as part of settlements New Jersey and local governments struck with pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and others for their role in the deadly opioid epidemic. Rather than using the funds thoughtfully for prevention, treatment, or recovery efforts, OSC found Irvington leaders decided to hold two “awareness” concerts, in 2023 and 2024, with no input from even the Township’s own health and public safety officials, community groups, or residents on the frontlines of the crisis.
Under the leadership of Mayor Tony Vauss, Irvington also improperly steered $368,500 of the funds to businesses owned or controlled by a Township employee, responsible for securing musical talent. Another $205,163 was spent on promoting the events. Nearly $13,000 was spent on renting “38’ Luxury VIP” trailers for the talent, and thousands of dollars more were spent on items like generators, an ice maker, popcorn machine, cotton candy machine, four flavors of shaved ice, a hot food display stand, and catered food. (Read the full list of expenditures.)
"These funds are supposed to be lifelines for communities overwhelmed by the opioid epidemic – not a slush fund to host concerts and throw parties,” said Acting State Comptroller Kevin Walsh. “Irvington wasted hundreds of thousands of dollars that should have been used to save lives and help people recover from addiction.”
In total, Irvington has received more than $1 million in opioid funds so far. OSC found the Township has spent $632,000 – all of it on the two concerts.
The Mayor and his department heads decided to spend opioid funds on a 2023 awareness concert after a single meeting. The event ended up costing more than $350,000.
Irvington’s then-Director of Health and Senior Services said she and her staff only learned about the June 10, 2023 event after seeing a flyer. She decided on her own to set up an information table at the event. In 2024, the Township opted to hold a second “awareness” concert without tracking metrics or evaluating outcomes of the first event, the report said, noting that the final tab on that event was nearly $280,000.
Although the concerts were billed as “opioid awareness” events, the promotional materials Irvington provided to OSC had no information about addiction or how to obtain treatment—they only promoted the artists, the Mayor, and the concerts. Irvington officials claimed that thousands attended and the Mayor and others delivered substantive public health speeches at both concerts, but Irvington provided little evidence to support these claims.
Irvington also claimed that Narcan—a life-saving drug—was distributed at both events. OSC found no evidence that it was distributed at the 2023 event. And in 2024, just five days before the concert, the Township asked a nonprofit to donate 50 Narcan kits. The Township did not use any of its opioid funds to purchase Narcan. While the Township invited service providers to set up tables and interact with members of the public at the 2024 event, OSC’s report said, “these were afterthoughts and could have happened at any community event,” without wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on musical guests, luxury trailers, and popcorn machines.
OSC also uncovered that Irvington violated procurement law by awarding six-figure contracts to businesses tied to Antoine Richardson, a DJ who was put on Irvington’s payroll after Vauss was first elected mayor in 2014. Richardson, known as DJ Qua, holds the title of “Keyboarding Clerk 1,” but has no set hours or office and said he works “as needed.” His only duties are DJing Township events and providing audio services.
Without seeking competitive bids, as the law requires, Irvington awarded two contracts, valued at $368,500, to Richardson's family businesses in order to secure musical guests for the concerts. Township officials never asked how Richardson spent the funds he received. OSC also found Richardson secured additional Township contracts through other improper procurement practices, including a sham solicitation in which the quotes came from his wife, their jointly owned businesses, or a DJ employed by Richardson’s wife. From 2021 through 2024, Irvington awarded contracts totaling at least $468,900 to Richardson’s family businesses. During the same period, Richardson was paid a total of more than $180,000 in salary while receiving benefits and pension-eligible service time.
This is not the first time OSC has found Irvington failed to responsibly manage taxpayer funds. OSC’s first audit of Irvington, in 2009, found the general ledger was out of balance by $59.7 million. OSC made 21 recommendations and, two years later, found 13 had not been fully implemented. A 2023 follow-up review examined documentation from 2017 through 2023 and found minimal progress and possible self-dealing in Irvington. The Township Council spent at least $200,000 over five years leasing office space from a company that is partly owned by the CFO. This company was also the sole bidder. OSC recommended that the State appoint a fiscal monitor to ensure Irvington implements corrective actions. As of this date, a monitor has not been appointed.
After learning of the improper opioid procurements in early 2024, OSC sent a confidential advisory letter to Irvington on May 21, 2024, recommending Irvington cancel its June 8, 2024 concert, recoup public funds, and rebid any future services. Irvington declined, held the concert, and later allocated additional opioid funds for planning a 2025 event.
Nearly a year later, when OSC sent a draft of the report for review and comment, Irvington responded first by suing for defamation. Since then, Irvington has taken extraordinary legal actions to block OSC from releasing the report, including requesting—and being granted—a court order temporarily restraining OSC, the Governor and legislative leaders from distributing the report. The Appellate Court later lifted the order, and in a decision released today, the N.J. Supreme Court rejected Irvington's appeal—clearing the way for OSC to release the report.
Given OSC's latest findings, OSC has made numerous referrals to appropriate agencies for further action. Additionally, OSC has made 28 recommendations, including calling for the Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide more oversight and concrete guidance to local governments on how to properly spend opioid funds. “Local governments are asking for direction, and DHS is the agency with that expertise,” said Walsh. “A passive approach by state government risks setting local governments up to fail and may invite more waste.”
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