Another county government will participate in a plan to pay money owed to contractors working on the NextGen Aviation Research and Technology Park in Atlantic County.
The Cumberland County Board of Chosen Freeholders voted 7-0 last week to join with Atlantic and Cape May counties to help ease the fiscal problems related to the project.
The project ran into financial problems as the South Jersey Economic Develop-ment District incurred more than $1 million in debt under Gordon Dahl. That led to Dahl’s ouster as the SJEDD’s executive director.
Atlantic County has agreed to pay the contractors to get the project, under development in Egg Harbor Township, moving again.
Officials said the payments made by Atlantic County will allow for the acquisition of federal Economic Development Administration grant money.
Atlantic County will receive a $250,000 reimbursement from the EDA and will pay off the remaining debt for the contractors.
The final total, which would depend on the outcome of negotiations with the contractors, would be between $257,000 and $474,000.
The resolution approved by Cumberland County’s freeholders reads that the SJEDD was “instrumental in securing grants and affordable loans for communities and enterprises located within (Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties) having an estimated total value in excess of $60 million.”
The resolution further reads that Cumberland County’s freeholders believe it is in their county’s interest to work with Atlantic, Cape May and Salem counties to “restore viability and stability to the financial operations of the SJEDD.”
The resolution also said Atlantic County will provide financial assistance to the SJEDD in an amount not to exceed $732,636.12.
Contact Thomas Barlas: 609-226-9197 TBarlas@pressofac.com
