County-owned Warren Haven went private after a $15.6 million deal was completed this month.
Warren County spent between $2 million and $3 million this year to cover the deficit for operational costs at the county-owned Warren Haven nursing home, according to Freeholder Director Ed Smith.
But with the $15.6 million sale of the facility finalized this month, officials can begin thinking about how else that money can be used.
"I'm sure each of us will have our own ideas," said Freeholder Rick Gardner.
MORE: $15.6M bid for Warren Haven approved
In May, the freeholder board approved the sale of Warren Haven, in Mansfield Township, to Warren Haven 1 LLC, a bidder affiliated with Red Bank, N.J.-based Chapin Care.
The deal was completed Sept. 4, making Warren Haven a privately-owned facility.
Under the agreement, the facility will remain a nursing home for at least 10 years. At least three-quarters of the employees chose to stay with the new operator, freeholders said.
When various costs associated with the sale are factored in, Smith estimated the county will see a net gain of roughly $11 million, and the facility's annual drain on the county's reserves will be plugged.
How that money will be used will be a topic of discussion among the three-member freeholder board as budget talks approach.
The priority, they said, is replenishing the county's reserve fund. There it can accrue interest and be set aside for whatever needs arise, Gardner said.
"In all candor, we have to be cautiously conservative," Gardner said. "I'm very concerned about the future of our county and the overall business climate, and that's why we have to be conservative with that money."
Smith said some of it could be used for capital projects, such as refurbishing the county courthouse in Belvidere. Among the work that needs to be done are improvements to the entrance and repairs to peeling, crumbling plaster in the main courtroom.
"These are projects that have been deferred for years," Smith said.
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Gardner and Freeholder Jason Sarnoski said they do not want to commit to any specific projects, but each said there could be an opportunity to aid social services -- Sarnoski said additional funding for senior services may be an appropriate use -- or to lessen the budget's impact on taxpayers.
"A lot of things need to be discussed," Sarnoski said. "It's very complicated."
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