Irvington blew $632K in opioid funds on two concerts, New Jersey watchdog finds

Officials in Irvington spent more than $600,000 in opioid settlement funds on two concerts labeled as “opioid awareness” events, without consulting health experts, public safety officials, or residents, according to a state watchdog report released July 8.

The Office of the State Comptroller said Irvington leaders squandered funds intended to help communities fight the opioid crisis, instead using them to throw concerts in 2023 and 2024 that included luxury trailers, cotton candy machines, and contracts funneled to businesses owned or controlled by a township employee.

“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.”

Irvington has received more than $1 million in opioid settlement funds so far, according to the Office of the State Comptroller. The watchdog found $632,000 had been spent on just the two concerts.

Under Mayor Tony Vauss, the township held the 2023 event after a single meeting among department heads. Irvington’s then-health and senior services director told investigators she only found out about the event after seeing a flyer and decided independently to set up an information table. That concert ended up costing more than $350,000.

The 2024 concert went forward without any assessment of the previous event’s effectiveness, the report said. Irvington spent nearly $280,000 on that event, which also lacked data collection, performance metrics or any serious public health programming.

Performers at the 2024 event included Musiq Soulchild, Donell Jones, Q Parker, Melissa Morgan, Kenny Bobien, Viola Sykes, Kimara Lovelace, and the Bells 2.0 Band.

Although the concerts were branded as public health events, promotional materials provided to the Office of the State Comptroller included no information about addiction treatment or recovery resources. The flyers instead promoted the performers, the mayor, and the events themselves.

Township officials claimed thousands of people attended the concerts and that Mayor Vauss and others gave substantive speeches on opioid awareness. But the Office of the State Comptroller said Irvington failed to provide documentation to back up those assertions.

The report also cast doubt on Irvington’s claim that the overdose-reversing drug Narcan was distributed at both events. The Office of the State Comptroller found no evidence that Narcan was available in 2023, and said that for the 2024 event, the township asked a nonprofit to donate just 50 kits five days before the concert. None of the settlement funds were used to purchase Narcan.

“While the Township invited service providers to set up tables and interact with members of the public at the 2024 event,” the report stated, “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.”

The Office of the State Comptroller said nearly $13,000 was spent on renting “38’ Luxury VIP” trailers for performers. Other expenses included generators, catered food, an ice maker, a popcorn machine, cotton candy equipment, a hot food display, and four flavors of shaved ice. Promotion costs alone totaled more than $205,000.

The report also details how $368,500 in opioid funds were steered to family businesses owned or operated by Antoine Richardson, a township employee and longtime associate of the mayor. Known publicly as “DJ Qua,” Richardson was hired shortly after Vauss took office in 2014 and holds the civil service title of “keyboarding clerk 1.” But Richardson has no set office hours, performs no administrative work, and is paid to DJ township events.

Irvington awarded Richardson’s businesses two contracts without competitive bidding, in violation of procurement laws, the report said. Officials never required documentation to show how those funds were used. The Office of the State Comptroller also found evidence of sham solicitations—requests for quotes from Richardson’s wife, their jointly owned companies, and a DJ who works for her.

From 2021 through 2024, Richardson’s family businesses received at least $468,900 in township contracts. During the same period, he was paid more than $180,000 in salary while receiving benefits and pension credits, the report said.

This is not the first time the Office of the State Comptroller has flagged questionable financial management in Irvington. A 2009 audit found the general ledger out of balance by $59.7 million. The Office of the State Comptroller 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 township’s CFO, according to the report. The company was also the sole bidder. The Office of the State Comptroller recommended that the State appoint a fiscal monitor to ensure Irvington implements corrective actions. A monitor has not been appointed yet.

The Office of the State Comptroller has made 28 recommendations, including a call for the state Department of Human Services to offer stronger oversight and clearer guidance on how municipalities should use opioid settlement funds.

“Local governments are asking for direction, and the Department of Human Services 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.”

In early 2024, the Office of the State Comptroller warned Irvington to cancel the 2024 concert and rebid future services. The township ignored the warning, held the concert as planned, and has allocated more opioid funds for a 2025 event.

When the Office of the State Comptroller sent Irvington a draft of its report earlier this year, the township filed a defamation lawsuit and obtained a court order temporarily blocking the report’s release. That order was lifted by an appellate court, and the New Jersey Supreme Court on Tuesday released a decision rejecting Irvington’s appeal, clearing the way for publication.

The Office of the State Comptroller has referred its findings to multiple agencies for further review.