County of Union, New JerseyDuring severe weather events, please only call 911 for life-threatening emergencies.
Call 911 if:
Do NOT call 911 to report:
Unless someone is trapped or in danger, non-life threating issues should be reported to your local public works or utility company.
Help keep emergency lines open for those who truly need it. Stay safe and stay informed!
The Union County Board of County Commissioners is launching the Storm-Related Emergency Home Repair Grant Program to assist senior homeowners affected by the severe storms that hit the region on July 3rd and July 14th.
This grant is available to Union County residents aged 62 and older who own and occupy a single- or two-family home that sustained damage from the recent storms. Eligible low- to moderate-income homeowners can receive up to $10,000 in funding to help cover necessary repairs—and the grant does not need to be repaid.
“After such devastating weather events, it’s vital that our seniors feel safe and supported in their own homes,” said Commissioner Chairwoman Lourdes M. Leon. “This program is a direct investment in their recovery and in the stability of our communities. We want to make sure no one is left behind.”
To qualify, homeowners must be current on their mortgage and property taxes. Once an application is submitted, an inspection will be conducted to determine the scope of repairs needed, and a cost estimate will be prepared to establish the grant amount.
For homeowners who may need additional support beyond the $10,000 grant, Union County also offers the Home Improvement Program, which provides interest-free loans with no repayment required until the property is sold or transferred. This program is available to all income-eligible residents, regardless of age.
For more information or to begin the application process, please visit www.ucnj.org/storm or by contacting Development Directions, LLC at (732) 382-8100.
The Union County Board of County Commissioners invites residents to enjoy a free evening of live music with Hey Bulldog – The Beatles Experience in Oak Ridge Park on Wednesday, August 13th.
“The music of The Beatles continues to bring people of all ages and backgrounds together,” said Union County Commissioner Chairwoman Lourdes M. Leon. “Hey Bulldog captures their timeless spirit and adds a new, fresh energy to their songs. We’re thrilled to welcome them to Oak Ridge Park during the Summer Arts Festival for a night of dancing, singing, and coming together, Beatles-style.”
Hey Bulldog is a group of New Jersey musicians who came together in 2004 for a casual Beatles jam on John Lennon’s birthday and haven’t looked back since. What started as a one-night gig quickly turned into the band, composed of guitarist/singer Pete Horvath, guitarist/singer Tommy Strazza, bassist/singer Gerry Rosenthal, drummer/singer Jeff Fernandes, and singer/percussionist Pat Bridge, packing bars, parties, and events all over Central Jersey. Unlike a typical Beatles tribute act, they don’t dress in costume or copy songs note for note. Instead, they bring their own rock, psychedelic, and jam-band energy to the music. Their goal is to celebrate some of the greatest music ever written and make sure everyone has a great time.
The concert begins at 7:30pm on Wednesday, August 13th at Oak Ridge Park in Clark. A free yoga class by Alluem Yoga in Cranford will be offered before the concert at 6:30pm. Hot dogs and ice cream will be available for purchase. All Summer Arts Festival events are free and open to the public. In the event of rain, the concert will be held at Crossroads, located at 78 North Avenue in Garwood.
The Union County Summer Arts Festival is provided with support from the Union County Education Association. For more information about the Summer Arts Festival, please visit www.ucnj.org/summer25 or call the Union County Department of Parks and Recreation at 908-527-4900.
Under the terms of the “Open Public Meetings Act P.L. 1975, C. 231, and pursuant to requirements of N.J.S.A 10: 4-10 of the Open Public Meetings Act, please be advised that circumstances necessitate amending the 2025 Meeting Schedule of the Union County Board of County Commissioners.
The Board has a need to cancel both the Agenda Setting Session and the Regular Meeting held on Thursday, August 21, 2025. Both the Agenda Setting Session and the Regular Meeting will be rescheduled for Wednesday, August 20, 2025. The Agenda Setting Session will commence at 6:00 P.M. The Regular Meeting will commence as soon as possible following the Agenda Setting Session.
As a result of these changes, please note the Public Hearing and Final Adoption of Ordinance Number 858-2025 and Ordinance Number 859-2025, originally scheduled to be held on Thursday, August 21, 2025 will now be heard on this new meeting date of Wednesday, August 20, 2025. A separate legal notice of said Public Hearing will be published in accordance to the law and shall reflect this new date and time.
For reference, Ordinance Number 858-2025 is entitled:
BOND ORDINANCE TO AUTHORIZE THE MAKING OF VARIOUS PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS AND THE ACQUISITION OF NEW ADDITIONAL OR REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT AND MACHINERY, NEW ADDITIONAL FURNISHINGS, NEW COMMUNICATION AND SIGNAL SYSTEMS EQUIPMENT, NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT AND NEW AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES, INCLUDING ORIGINAL APPARATUS AND EQUIPMENT, IN, BY AND FOR THE COUNTY OF UNION, STATE OF NEW JERSEY, TO APPROPRIATE THE SUM OF $58,443,808 TO PAY THE COST THEREOF, TO APPROPRIATE STATE GRANTS, TO MAKE A DOWN PAYMENT, TO AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF $43,186,098 OF BONDS TO FINANCE SUCH APPROPRIATION AND TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF $43,186,098 OF BOND ANTICIPATION NOTES IN ANTICIPATION OF THE ISSUANCE OF SUCH BONDS.
For further reference, Ordinance Number 859-2025 is entitled:
CAPITAL ORDINANCE OF THE COUNTY OF UNION, NEW JERSEY AUTHORIZING THE MAKING OF VARIOUS PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS IN, BY AND FOR THE COUNTY, APPROPRIATING THEREFOR THE SUM OF $10,000,000 AND PROVIDING THAT SUCH SUM SO APPROPRIATED SHALL BE RAISED FROM CAPITAL SURPLUS OF THE COUNTY.
Please be advised, Union County Mosquito Control will be spraying county and municipal parks Wednesday morning, July 30, 2025, between the hours of 3:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M. (Weather Permitting). Check below for the list of Parks to be sprayed. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Union County Office of Mosquito Control at 908-654-9834 or 908-654-9835.
County Parks
Municipal Parks
Starting August 5, 2025, the Senior Swim and Swim for Persons with Disabilities & Special Needs program will have new extended hours to give participants more time in the pool!
🕙 New Hours:
Tuesdays | 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
We’re excited to offer an extra 30 minutes for relaxation, exercise, and fun!
Pursuant to an announcement by Nicole Schichnes, Director of the Union County Paratransit System, notice is hereby given that on September 10th 2025 at 6:00 p.m. at Union County Administration Building at 10 Elizabethtown Plaza 6th Floor, Elizabeth, NJ the COUNTY OF UNION, Department of Human Services Paratransit, will hold a Hearing accepting input concerning the 2026 Application to New Jersey Transit for funding under the Senior Citizen and Disabled Resident Transportation Assistance Program, at which time and place all interested parties will be given an opportunity to be heard. To assure that all members of the public are given an opportunity to be heard, initial presentations will be limited to five (5) minutes.
In order to encourage full participation in this Hearing, please submit any requests for accommodation of people with disabilities to the Union County Paratransit 10 Elizabethtown Plaza 2nd Fl., Elizabeth, NJ 07207 no later than five (5) business days prior to the public hearing. People who are deaf, hard of hearing and/or speech impaired should access this service by contacting New Jersey Relay Service TTY/TDD 1-800-852-7899.
For those residents unable to attend the Hearing, please know that written comments and/or testimony will be accepted through September 5th. Please send correspondence to Nicole Schichnes, Director, Union County Paratransit System 10 Elizabethtown Plaza 2nd Fl. Elizabeth, NJ 07207 or call 908-659-5001 with comments.
Environmental Protection proposing to divert 1.14 acres of land in Warinanco Park, in Roselle New Jersey, in connection with the construction of an indoor ice-skating rink. As compensation for the proposed diversion the County proposes to offer wooded replacement land and, possibly, additional monetary compensation.
Pursuant to NJAC 7:36-26.6(c), a hearing to obtain public comment on this request will be held on
July 28, 2025 at 6:00 PM at the existing outdoor Ice Rink facility, located at 1 Park Dr., Roselle, N.J, 07203.
All information submitted by the County to the Department in support of the proposed diversion is available for public review at the Clerk’s Office of the Borough of Roselle, 210 Chestnut St., Roselle, NJ; the Roselle Public Library 104 W. Fourth St., Roselle, NJ; or the Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Transactions and Public Land Administration, Public Land Compliance Section, 401 E. State St., 7th Floor, Mail Code 401-07, P.O. Box 420 Trenton, NJ 08625-0420, (609) 940-4400.
Written comment on the proposed diversion may be directed to the County of Union, County Counsel–’s Office, Administration Building, 10 Elizabethtown Plaza, Elizabeth, NJ 07207, Attn: Kevin Campbell, Esq., (908) 527-4250. Please send a copy of any comments submitted on this request to the Department of Environmental Protection at the address above or by email to PublicLandCompliance@dep.nj.gov. Please include “SHC2000046” in the subject line of any comments emailed to the Department.
Public comment on this request will be accepted during the public hearing or until August 11, 2025.
Stay safe with these tips:
📞 Heat-related emergencies? Call 9-1-1 immediately.
Stay cool and stay safe, Union County!
Over the past several weeks, the Union County Board of County Commissioners and I have heard from many residents, advocates, and community members who voiced concerns about the future of the Union County Jail property. We appreciate everyone who took the time to attend meetings, reach out, and make their voices heard.
The original resolution simply authorized the County to explore interest through a Request for Proposals (RFP)—a standard and responsible step to evaluate potential uses for a property of this scale. The goal was to gauge the market and identify options that could benefit the community and the County as a whole. While one inquiry did reference the possibility of detention-related use, we quickly recognized that such a direction would not align with Union County’s values. Given the troubling reports we’ve seen nationwide about ICE detaining not only individuals with criminal charges, but also everyday people simply trying to build better lives, we cannot support any outcome that risks putting people in jeopardy. This process was never about immigration detention, and we remain firmly opposed to any such use.
We received various informal inquiries in response to the County’s intent to issue an RFP, with a wide range of ideas coming in from various sectors. However, the RFP has not been finalized or issued, and as such, no formal proposals have been submitted to date. The majority of inquiries had nothing to do with ICE or detention-related uses. Unfortunately, what began as a standard exploratory process led to widespread speculation and protests based on scenarios that were neither proposed nor intended. To be clear, no official exploration of potential uses has taken place, as the RFP process has not yet begun.
As County Manager, I have a duty to pursue opportunities that serve the best interests of Union County—financially, socially, and morally. We are continuing with the RFP process, but we want to be absolutely clear: the RFP will include language that prohibits any use of the site as a private detention facility, such as an ICE facility, immigration detention center, or similar operation. Those uses are off the table.
This process is about planning responsibly for the future—taking a thoughtful approach that prioritizes transparency, public input, and the long-term needs of our residents. On behalf of the Commissioner Board and myself, we thank everyone who engaged in this discussion and hope we can now move forward with a shared understanding of the facts and a collective focus on what’s best for Union County.