Securing Funds in State Budget for Monmouth County

By Assemblywomen Luanne Peterpaul and Margie Donlon

Assemblywomen Luanne Peterpaul & Margie Donlon

We are pleased to announce that our efforts during the 2026 state budget negotiations have succeeded in securing funding for numerous nonprofit community organizations in Monmouth County.

This has been a challenging budget year as cuts in federal aid began to hit many of the programs, nonprofit organizations, and resources that Legislative District 11 residents rely on.

So it’s gratifying to report that our fight to include $500,000 for dredging Firemen’s Pond in Ocean Township, the first of several planned dredging projects around Deal Lake, was successful. Wanamassa Firemen’s Memorial Park is adjacent to the pond on Lake Avenue between Raymere and Grassmere Avenues. It is a popular spot for nature walking and a source of physical activity and fitness.

Several years ago, volunteers mounted a clean up of the pond, removing bags of debris, bottles and cans, and pruning vegetation. But the pond’s shallow waters require real dredging to bring the pond back to its original state as a natural resource. This appropriation will address that need.

We are also happy to announce that we succeeded in gaining $1 million for the VNACJ LGBTQ+ Health Center in Asbury Park. This was the shore area’s first LGBTQ+ Health Center. The Health Center provides an array of comprehensive care and wellness services, including primary care services designed by LGBTQ+ patients, as well as specialized care including HIV care and treatment, transgender care, PrEP counseling, behavioral health services, and more.

Here’s a look at some of the other community organizations in our legislative district for which we obtained funds from the 2026 state budget.

We secured $200,000 for the Mercy Center in Asbury Park to support the nonprofit’s commitment to fighting food insecurity and helping children and families in need. Other organizations in Asbury Park that will receive funds in the 2026 state budget include Trinity Church’s Code Blue operations, $75,000, and the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth, $75,000. We also secured $100,000 for Asbury Park Tennis, whose volunteers provide tennis, academics, and life skills to under-resourced youth.

We also succeeded in getting funds for various recreational initiatives, including Bradley Beach Recreation Park restoration, $100,000; the Neptune Senior Center, $100,000; and the Neptune City Community Center, $100,000.

In addition to the money for the Firemen’s Pond dredging project in Ocean, we secured funds for the Ocean Township Little League, $50,000; the Wesley Nursery School, $50,000; and Rising Treetops, $100,000. Rising Treetops is a nonprofit organization that enhances the quality of life for children and adults with special needs, including autism and physical and intellectual disabilities, and provides respite for their families through a year-round camp experience.

Working in a bipartisan fashion, we also secured $75,000 each for the Tinton Falls Girls Softball and Little League, as well as $25,000 for the Tinton Falls Library. The library, which had closed in August of 2017 because mold was discovered in the attached trailer, reopened last November after the mold was removed.

Other Tinton Falls initiatives funded in the 2026 state budget include the Tinton Falls North First Aid Squad and Police Department, $50,000 each. In addition, we secured $25,00 for Luther’s Mission Garden, where volunteers and students at the Luther Memorial Church and Preschool grow vegetables to donate to those in need.

We remain committed to working with our colleagues in the legislature and state government, as well as Monmouth County and local officials, to ensure our towns and constituents continue to have access to the resources they need.