'Mercer Forward' plan announcement
highlight of State of the County address
I delivered my 2023 State of the County address this evening to the Board of County Commissioners and members of the public. I appreciate having the opportunity each year to talk about what’s happening in county government, including things we have accomplished for our residents and businesses, as well as new initiatives we’re working on.
Tonight, I was pleased to present my administration’s “Mercer Forward” plan, which focuses on three specific areas: A Thriving and Inclusive Economy; Healthy Residents; and Environmental Sustainability. This plan will guide our efforts over the next several years. It will require collaboration with the Board of County Commissioners to be successful, and will make a real and measurable impact on our residents’ lives. The plan includes programs to assist small businesse, and people leaving incarceration; a new initiative to help prevent opioid-related overdoses; several actions that will enable us to take a more cohesive approach toward environmental sustainability; and more. For details, I encourage you to read my full address as written, here.
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As part of my State of the County remarks, I addressed a report issued Tuesday by the Office of the State Comptroller regarding an investigation of the county Finance Department.
Six months ago, I was made aware of concerning information about the county’s Chief Fiscal Officer, even though his and the County’s fiscal practices are subject to independent annual audits. The CFO was someone that I, the Commissioners and other County officials trusted and relied upon for many years. He betrayed that trust, but the bottom line is how we respond to that betrayal.
We took swift action. We immediately informed the County Commissioners, suspended the CFO, launched an investigation through outside counsel and referred the matter to law enforcement.
Integrity matters, and this Administration holds itself to the highest standards. To say we are disappointed in the CFO’s actions is an understatement; as the comptroller said, the County was a “victim of the CFO.”
We will take every legal measure available to us to hold the CFO accountable, and to ensure something like this never happens again.
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I provided the following update tonight on several major projects that are moving forward:
- Replacement of the outdated and undersized passenger terminal at Trenton-Mercer Airport in Ewing, which is now in phase 2 of design, with design completion anticipated by the end of 2023 or very early next year.
- Park improvements at Miry Run in Hamilton, Robbinsville and West Windsor, where engineering and permitting for the first phase of developing this passive-recreation park are continuing.
- Moores Station Quarry park development plan in Hopewell Township, where the Park Commission is working with Trap Rock Industries to execute the terms of the reclamation plan for the 166-acre site ahead of the county’s acquisition, which is anticipated this spring. Once the Park Commission takes possession of the site, it will begin a multi-year process of transforming the open-pit quarry into a park unlike anything in our current recreational offerings.
- The Fishing Wharf Park in Trenton, whose restoration is important for reconnecting Trenton residents to their riverfront. A flood wall is being built by NJDOT as part of a collaborative effort between the City of Trenton, the County of Mercer and three state agencies to design and create an improved flood-resilient park that also will serve as flood protection for Route 29. The Mercer County Park Commission is overseeing the design of park improvements.
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I also spoke tonight about a health condition I have, trigeminal neuralgia, or TN, which can inflict severe pain to the nerves along my jaw. It’s something that I’ve never shied away from discussing, with the most important consideration being that it has never prevented me from doing the job I was elected to do. If anything, it has steeled me with determination. I invite you to read what I had to say about it in my full address, here.
Labor agreement signed for airport terminal project
On Wednesday, Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo and I signed a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) that ensures a reliable source of skilled and experienced local labor for construction of the Trenton-Mercer Airport passenger terminal replacement project.
I’m grateful to Wayne, who is President of the Mercer/Burlington Counties Building and Construction Trades Council, and his union brothers and sisters for helping us ensure that this will be one of the finest construction projects we’ve ever done in Mercer County.
The terminal replacement project is in phase 2 of design, and we anticipate design completion by the end of 2023 or very early 2024. Concurrent to the terminal project is the design and construction of a 1,000-space parking garage.
We’ve had to clear a lot of hurdles to get to this point as the project has made its way through the review process. But I’m happy to say that we are moving forward.
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Helping social service agencies serve residents in need
Mercer County is proud to partner with numerous local agencies that provide services for people in our community who need a helping hand. This week, my administration advanced numerous resolutions to the county commissioners, including six authorizing contracts with the following social service organizations that provide a total of $850,535 to support children and adults in the areas of mental health, addiction, homelessness and crisis.
- CONTACT, for crisis intervention, emotional support and outreach to people experiencing isolation, depression and who are sometimes suicidal. -- $21,500;
- NAMI, for mental health services, peer recovery. -- $56,000;
- Oaks Integrated, for day treatment services for children, $20,000; for chronically homeless experiencing substance abuse, mental health issues or other needs that pose barriers to accessing or maintaining permanent housing; $65,000; for mental health assessments for people experiencing homelessness, $112,000; for mental health and substance abuse stabilization for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, $112,000; for support programs for older adults, $11,035; for support services for people struggling with mental health issues and other issues that pose barriers to stable housing, $65,000;
- Rescue Mission of Trenton, for the Returning Citizens Community Program to offer immediate access to shelter beds through the county’s coordinated re-entry plan, $92,000; for case management services for the Returning Citizens Community Program, $111,000;
- Trenton Area Soup Kitchen (TASK), for the Mercer County ID Project, providing case management, outreach and ID services to homeless individuals, $120,000; and
- Corner House, to assist with the funding of a position for a bilingual clinician to provide case management services and links to primary care, mental health, housing and immigration services if needed, $65,000.
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