By A.M. Dickey
Published February 5, 2026

             More than $23.8 million in federal funding has been allocated to infrastructure and humanitarian projects in Ocean and Monmouth counties, following the approval of a consolidated budget. The funding comes from congressional earmarks submitted by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), who represents New Jersey’s 4th district in the U.S. Congress.

             “The nearly $24 million in federal funding, which I secured, will go towards vital projects and initiatives that will greatly improve the safety, health, and quality of life of Ocean and Monmouth County residents,” said Smith.

             “These funds will go towards critical law enforcement equipment and technology upgrades; significant improvements to water quality and wastewater treatment; enhanced stormwater management and flood mitigation efforts; expanded services for victims of domestic violence; and the implementation of informative human trafficking prevention programs in New Jersey schools,” continued Smith.

             “These critical projects will bring innumerable benefits and improvements to the people of Ocean and Monmouth counties, and I am honored to have played a role in securing the funding they need to bring these important initiatives to life.”

             The earmarked funds include several allocations: $1.75 million for Manchester Township’s new water treatment facility targeting PFOS contamination; $2 million for upgrades at Ocean County Utilities Authority pump stations; $480,000 for additional vehicles for the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office; $540,000 for upgraded communications equipment at the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office; $2 million for congestion relief along County Road 537; over $5.6 million for a Secure Test Aviation Research Hangar at Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst; nearly $1.5 million to restore Manitou Park School House with civil rights significance; more than $275,000 to upgrade radio communication infrastructure for Lakewood Shomrim volunteers; about $271,000 for Dottie’s House domestic violence shelter in Brick, NJ; $3.2 million for a new Air Traffic Control Tower at Lakehurst NAS; $1 million for Silver Lake water quality improvements in Belmar; almost $250,000 for Covenant House New Jersey’s anti-human trafficking initiative in schools statewide; another $2 million to improve Shadow Lake’s flood mitigation capacity between Middletown and Red Bank; an additional $2 million for road, drainage, and sewer work on Maplehurst Avenue and nearby roads in Lakewood Township; and finally, $1 million toward repairs around Wampum Lake in Eatontown Township.


This article was published on February 5, 2026 and can be found online at: https://oceancountyleader.com/smith-secures-over-23-8m-federal-funding-boost-for-ocean-and-monmouth-county-projects/