Good morning, everyone.

Thank you to the Chamber for hosting us here today at our Mercer County Boathouse. It’s great to see so many from our business community, as well as our elected officials at the State and local levels. I want to give a shoutout to Jimmy Hines, who does the catering here. They always do a great job at a number of our facilities. We really appreciate all that they do in hosting our Thursday music nights, which are really popular. I also want to take a moment to thank Hal English, who is retiring from the Chamber, for all of his years of service not only at the Chamber level, but throughout his entire life. Hal has been a friend to Mercer County and to the entire community. Hal, thank you. Can we give him a big round of applause?

While we have a lot of good things to talk about today, I also want to begin by acknowledging that families across America are facing real challenges right now, and families here in Mercer County are feeling those same pressures. Costs keep rising. Housing continues to be too expensive. People are worried about whether they can afford groceries, gas, childcare, and healthcare. For many families, it feels like they're working harder than ever just to keep up. And the federal government isn't doing enough to address the challenges people are facing every day. In fact, they’re making it worse.

Just like our residents, Mercer County is also facing higher healthcare costs, higher fuel costs, and rising expenses across the board. But here in Mercer, we're not standing still. We’re a community of builders, innovators, workers, educators, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers. We don't back away from challenges. We come together and solve them.

County government alone can’t lower gas prices or solve the housing crisis overnight. But there’s a lot we can do. We can support working families by providing great County services. We can continue to invest in projects that improve everyday life. We can tighten our belts and make government more efficient. And that’s exactly what this administration is doing every day.

And we’re starting to see the results. Over the past two and a half years, we’ve rebuilt confidence in County government through practical solutions, focused budgeting, greater accountability, and getting our financial house back in order. We’re also more visible and accessible than ever before in all of our communities.

We’ve broken ground on major projects, invested in public safety, and expanded our support for nonprofits that serve the most vulnerable in our community. Many of our biggest and most ambitious projects are already underway and we can't wait for the community to see them come to life.

When you travel across Mercer County today, you can feel something’s changed. There’s a renewed sense of energy. Projects that sat on the shelf for years are finally moving. Communities are seeing investments that have been long overdue. And people are seeing what leadership that works for everyone truly looks like. 

Protecting Our Financial Future

You can see that progress in the work we've done to stabilize the County's finances.

When we first took office, Mercer County was in the midst of a serious fiscal crisis. It was a crisis that threatened our County’s bond rating and our long-term financial future. Over the past two and a half years, our team has worked tirelessly to clean up our finances, modernize operations, and bring discipline back to our budgeting process. We found creative ways to reallocate resources, fund what matters, and spend strategically so we could invest in our communities while getting our finances back on track at the same time.

Our finance team, department heads, and County employees deserve a ton of credit for what they've accomplished. It took tremendous dedication and a lot of late nights, and they should be truly proud. Earlier this year, Moody’s issued Mercer a positive outlook in recognition of this team’s great work. Moody’s said, and I quote, “The County's new management team has worked in recent years to improve financial operations and the rebalancing of its budget to be more sustainable. Fiscal 2024's fund balance improved to around 21% of revenues and fiscal 2025 operations year-to-date are showing stability.” What this means for the average taxpayer is that our borrowing costs are dropping and if we continue on this path we could even see an upgrade to our rating. We were recently able to save over $900 thousand by refinancing some of our debt through the MCIA, and in our most recent bond note sale we got just over a 2% interest rate, which saved taxpayers another million dollars annually.

Last week our Board of Commissioners approved our 2026 budget. Despite rising costs and growing demands on services, our County government is committed to responsible budgeting, protecting taxpayers, and continuing to invest in the priorities that matter most. I want to especially thank our Commissioners for their partnership throughout the process, which allowed us to incorporate many of their ideas and priorities from the very beginning of the budget process. Too often, the County Exec gets all the credit, but the truth is that good government is a team effort with our governing body. Will all the County Commissioners please stand up? 

I say this everywhere I go, and it’s worth repeating: everything we've accomplished over the last two-and-a-half years has only been possible because of the collaborative relationship we’ve built together with our Board.

One of the biggest challenges we faced this year was the rapidly rising cost of healthcare. When we took office, it was clear that the trajectory of the State Health Benefits Plan was simply not sustainable, and we knew we needed to take action. So we worked with our employee unions to find an alternative that would provide the same high-quality healthcare for County employees while lowering premiums and reducing the costs for taxpayers and employees alike. Thanks to that work, when the State Plan announced a 31% rate increase at the start of this year Mercer was already prepared. By exiting the State Plan, we’re saving taxpayers nearly $10 million dollars this year alone, and we expect those savings to continue, and hopefully grow, year after year.

I want to thank our union partners for working with us throughout that process. Their willingness to come to the table, engage in conversations, and help us to find a solution played an important role in putting Mercer on stronger financial footing. We are now working with all our affiliated entities like MCIA, the library, our County Schools and the Board of Social Services to find similar savings.

Investing in Public Safety

Public safety is one of our core responsibilities, and Mercer is committed to staying ahead of the curve.

This year, we will complete a major upgrade to our emergency communications system via the implementation of the new P25 radio network, which improves the coordination between police, fire, EMS, and emergency management teams across all of our 12 municipalities. We're also continuing to invest in our 911 infrastructure and systems, because when residents call for help, first responders need to have the tools and technology to respond quickly and effectively.

We're also continuing to support local public safety teams by expanding our shared services agreements. This year, we formalized countywide hazardous materials response agreements with the Trenton and West Windsor fire departments to ensure specialized help is available whenever and wherever they're needed. We've invested in new emergency response equipment, including a new emergency support vehicle that’s assigned to Hopewell Township to help them increase their response capabilities. We're supporting local first responders via these shared services agreements, which include a backup generator for the Hightstown firehouse and a public health vehicle for Hamilton.

Recent actions by ICE have created a new set of challenges for communities like ours. Mercer is committed to protecting all of our residents. We recently prohibited ICE and Customs and Border Protection officers from entering or using non-public areas of County-owned facilities for civil immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant or court order through an Executive Order and a companion resolution. We applaud Governor Mikie Sherrill and the Legislature for taking action and passing the Immigrant Trust Act to protect our entire community and uphold the values of privacy and public safety here in New Jersey.

Building Infrastructure

You can also see Mercer's incredible momentum in the major infrastructure projects that we’re currently working on.

Our teams are hard at work on several major bridge and road projects, including the replacement of the Lincoln Avenue Bridge, which is the longest of our County bridges, and one of the oldest and most complex. With the help of Congresswoman Watson Coleman and Senator Booker, we secured a $47 million grant for this critical project, which crosses the Northeastern Corridor rail line and which many students rely on to travel to and from Trenton High.

Over the past year, we've completed major bridge projects in Hopewell Township and between West Windsor and Middlesex County. Construction is underway on another key crossing connecting Hamilton and Burlington County, and we're moving forward with plans for a bridge replacement in Robbinsville.

We’re also in the process of replacing two historic bridges, one in Trenton and one in Hightstown, both of which are over a century old. Last year, I talked about our award-winning rehabilitation of the historic South Montgomery Street Bridge in Mill Hill, and we’re committed to following the same standards and preserving the historic character of these landmarks while bringing them up to modern safety and engineering standards.

The bridge that’s been getting the most attention in Mercer recently isn’t actually a County bridge, even though it's on a County road, it’s the state-owned Clarksville Rd bridge over the Northeastern Corridor rail line in West Windsor. In November, the state DOT suddenly announced the bridge’s closure, which has been disruptive to residents, first responders, and businesses. We've been in regular communication with NJDOT and Amtrak, as well as local elected leaders in West Windsor, and we’ve pushed them for a solution that restores traffic flow as quickly as possible while we wait for a full replacement of the bridge. In the meantime, I signed an emergency declaration which allowed us to provide assistance to the businesses impacted by the closure so that they can hold on until the bridge is reopened. Thankfully we are seeing progress, and we hope to hear more from DOT soon.

Across the County we have dozens of roadway improvement projects at various stages of progress. We’re focused on redesigning some of the most dangerous corridors and intersections, implementing traffic calming measures and prioritizing pedestrian and bike safety, all as part of our Vision Zero initiative to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries through safer road design, data-driven planning, and stronger partnerships with our municipalities. Because every resident deserves to get to work, school, or home safely.

We're also partnering with municipalities through our Local Roads Assistance Program, where we resurface local roads that are adjacent to County roads. Between this year and last year, this program will repave at least sixteen roads across eight of our municipalities, with more to come.

We’re also using funding from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission to finalize our Fleet Electrification Transition Plan, which will include concrete steps to begin transforming our County vehicle fleet over to electric vehicles. If you’ve filled up your gas tank in the past few weeks you understand how hard it can be when gas prices spike, and we’re seeing that pain multiplied across hundreds of vehicles. Investing in EV infrastructure will help us reduce our carbon footprint and make our budget less vulnerable to future oil shocks. We’re also working on our EV adoption plan to make sure public EV infrastructure matches our commitment internally.

At the Trenton-Mercer Airport in Ewing, construction has already begun on the new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting facility, which is the first major phase in the airport modernization project that will position Mercer as a hub for commerce and travel throughout the region. We’ll celebrate with a ribbon-cutting this fall, and the building will be shared between the airport firefighting team and the Ewing fire department. The completion of the airport modernization, including the new terminal, and related capital improvements, will create jobs, bring in tourism, attract new business, and make Mercer more competitive in our regional economy. We've brought in new public and private partners with Signature Aviation and Sky Harbour both leasing space for new and expanded campuses, and we’re proud to host the state police who are moving into their own hangar at the airport.

We’ve launched the new Landline service with American Airlines, which allows travelers the ease of parking and passing through security in Trenton and traveling to Philly by shuttle. We recently welcomed Allegiant Airlines and they are already providing service to popular Florida destinations beyond the offerings of our longtime flagship airline, Frontier.

I’m proud to say that many of our projects around the County are being completed using local union labor under Project Labor Agreements, so we’re building up our infrastructure while creating good-paying jobs for our neighbors right here in Mercer.

Protecting Our Quality of Life

As we head into summer, Mercer County is continuing to invest in the parks, libraries, trails, and public spaces that help make this such a great place to live.

Using the last of our federal ARPA dollars, along with capital investments, we are completing long-overdue improvements to our library system, including roof replacements and HVAC upgrades. We're continuing to make our County facilities more accessible to all, through the installation of induction loop technology and other accessibility upgrades to better serve residents who are deaf and hard of hearing. The loops are already operating in several locations, and the state Department of Human Services selected Mercer to host a roundtable celebrating New Jersey’s recent progress expanding accessibility.

We’re continuing to expand trails and mobility projects that connect the communities across Mercer. Earlier this year, we launched a new Mercer County Trail Grant Program that provides matching funds to towns and nonprofit organizations to help plan, design, construct, and expand trails across the County. We’ve advanced plans to complete the Johnson Trolley Trail, which will provide a corridor for pedestrians and bikes running from Trenton to Princeton, connecting neighborhoods, schools, parks, businesses, and communities. Portions of the trail have already been built, but there was no workable plan to connect the parts of the trail on either side of Route 295. We approached the state and, thanks to our legislative delegation in the 15th District, NJDOT has awarded an engineering contract for a new pedestrian bridge, clearing the way for the trail to be completed in the coming years.

We're also continuing our commitment to preserving open space and farmland. Earlier this year, the County bought more than 50 acres from Rider University that will be permanently preserved as open space. This agreement served a dual purpose: it helped provide Rider with the extra support they needed to stabilize their finances. They are an important economic engine of our community and this protects local jobs and saves sensitive wetlands and the historic Big Woods, which the university would otherwise have been forced to sell off to developers. It was a win for Rider, a win for the environment, and a win for Mercer residents. As a bonus, Rider will provide us a key easement along the path of the Johnson Trolley Trail.

In Ewing we purchased 6 acres which we’ll turn into a pocket park on Spruce Street, and will fill in another missing piece on the Johnson Trolley Trail. Over in Hopewell Township and Hopewell Borough, we worked with D&R Greenway to purchase the 31 acre Hoge Tract. The D&R Greenway will manage the property as preserved open space, and we believe that someday this property can serve as one of the final puzzle pieces to link the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail all the way up the Borough.

We’ve also purchased and preserved a six-acre historic farmstead in Hopewell Township’s Pleasant Valley Historic District, which will be preserved as part of Howell Living History Farm. The plan is to recreate a historic sawmill that existed on the property, offering new educational opportunities for the tens of thousands of visitors who come to Howell Farm each year to learn about our region’s agricultural heritage.

And we're also preparing to launch the third round of our Mercer at Play grants, which will give our twelve municipalities another opportunity to support capital improvements for recreation in their communities with significant grant funds from the County.

Growing Community Partnerships

But perhaps most importantly, we’ve continued investing in our community’s greatest resource: Our people. At a time when too many families are struggling with rising costs, we've worked to support the amazing organizations that are on the front lines helping our neighbors every day.

One way we've done just that is by expanding access to affordable housing. Through the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, Mercer has helped to fund and support 71 affordable housing units across our community, with another 58 units currently in the pipeline for 2026 and 2027.

Last fall, the government shutdown led to a freeze in SNAP benefits, leaving many Mercer residents struggling to put food on the table. So Mercer County government stepped up to help. When this crisis hit, we were prepared because we had already established the Office of Food Security and we jumped into action and worked closely with our Office of Emergency Management, our Community Services Department, nonprofits, and our municipalities to help our soup kitchens and food pantries keep their shelves stocked as demand skyrocketed across the County.

As we prepare for more federal cuts to SNAP to take effect, we’ve invested over $600,000 in ARPA funds in the fight against hunger. At the heart of this effort will be Mercer County Food Hub. We’ve dedicated $250,000 to improve and expand the facility so it can serve as a central location where food is stored, organized, and moved to the communities that need it most. The Food Hub will also serve as a gateway for residents to access other services like housing assistance, job training programs, mental health resources, and more.

We also launched our Food Security Innovation Pilot Grant Program, which provides more than $200,000 to local nonprofits that are finding creative new ways to meet residents where they are. Organizations like Arm In Arm, HomeFront, the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Jewish Family & Children’s Service, the Muslim Center of Greater Princeton, Outdoor Equity Alliance, Share My Meals, and others are doing incredible work every single day, and Mercer County is proud to support them.

In addition, we’ve provided another $200,000 to help local agencies purchase and distribute fresh produce, dairy products, meat, and other nutritious foods to residents in need. To date, these efforts have helped provide food assistance to more than 22,000 households and over 55,000 individuals across Mercer County.

And despite the federal cuts, Mercer has continued to provide assistance to some of our most vulnerable residents through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Each year, this program helps thousands of Mercer families, seniors, and residents offset the cost of heating and cooling, and it provides support for emergency repairs and replacements when needed.

We've continued to expand access to mental health services, addiction treatment, housing assistance, and other critical support programs through our partnerships with several healthcare providers, nonprofits, and municipalities throughout the County. We’re spending money through our Opioid Settlement Fund to ensure that the money we received from those who helped cause the crisis get to those most harmed by it.

And while many communities have taken a step back from their diversity and inclusion efforts, Mercer County is once again leading the way. We’re continuing to expand opportunities for minority-, women-, veteran-, and LGBTQIA-owned businesses through outreach, procurement reforms, training efforts, and new pathways for small businesses to work with County government. This year, we are also launching the first cohort of businesses participating in our Microenterprise Program, so more local entrepreneurs can access County contracting opportunities.

Strong Economic Development

We believe economic development happens when you foster an environment where businesses can grow, entrepreneurs can succeed, and workers can find opportunity. That's exactly the approach that we're taking here in Mercer County.

One way we’re doing that is by expanding access to Mercer County’s Foreign Trade Zone. These zones allow businesses that are engaged in international trade to import, store, assemble, and manufacture goods more efficiently while deferring or reducing their customs costs. With the uncertainty we’ve experienced around tariffs over the past year, the Foreign Trade Zone makes Mercer an even more appealing place to invest and do business. Companies like Aurobindo in East Windsor and Mon Cheri Bridals in Ewing are already using the Foreign Trade Zone to support their operations, and recently, Shiseido has expanded their participation in our FTZ program as well. 

One of the most transformative projects that’s on the horizon is the arrival of Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in Hamilton. In partnership with Hamilton Mayor Jeff Martin, this major project will bring world-renowned pediatric healthcare right here to our community, meaning families won’t have to travel far for the highest level of care. It truly is a game-changer. Beyond the healthcare impact, it’s also a major economic development win, revitalizing the vacant AMC theater site, creating construction jobs now, generating permanent healthcare jobs for years to come, and further establishing Mercer County as a destination for top-tier medical services.

We’re working with stakeholders and our elected leaders in Hopewell Township to support the continued expansion of BeOne, which is a biologic cancer drug manufacturer. Their growing presence is bringing high-quality jobs to Mercer and helping solidify our place as a major hub for medical innovation. 

We’re supporting the expansion of the Caspersen Rowing Center, which those of you seated by the window can probably see right across the lake. The rowing center is home to the U.S. Olympic and national rowing teams, and the facility brings in more than $10 million in annual economic impact to our region. We’re helping to finance this expansion through the Mercer County Improvement Authority, and more than $8.5 million dollars of the project's costs are being covered by private and institutional donors. Public-private partnerships are another way we’re expanding our reach and getting things done here in Mercer.

Training Mercer’s workforce and giving them the tools to succeed is also a critical piece of our economic strategy. That’s why we’re continuing to invest in the Mercer County Community College and our Technical Schools as they expand their educational offerings, and vocational education that connect residents with good-paying jobs and help meet the needs of employers throughout our region. A recent study showed that the Community College generates more than $355 million in annual economic impact, and supports more than 1% of all jobs in the County.

But like many institutions of higher education around the country, Mercer County College is also navigating rising costs and enrollment challenges. We’re adapting by continuing to expand programs at the James Kerney Campus in Trenton, and by launching innovative new programs like the mobile biotech lab, a partnership with New Jersey Biofutures and Johnson & Johnson, that will help our residents get certified for high-paying jobs in biotech that may not require a four-year degree but demand a specific set of specialized skills. This year we increased our annual contribution to the Community College to $20.5 million and supported our Technical Schools with over $7 million. I see our president Dr. Debbie Preston here in the audience. Debbie can you please stand and let’s give her a round of applause.

The County also contributed about $7 million towards our Special Services School District, which plays a vital role in supporting students whose home districts cannot meet their needs. We’re committed to working with their leadership to ensure that every single student in Mercer can access the high-quality educational services they deserve.

We're so proud of everything Mercer has to offer, and we're working hard to share that story with the rest of the region. Earlier this year, we launched the Mercer 250 website to showcase the events, history, and community celebrations taking place across our County as we prepare for America's 250th anniversary. And we continue to work behind the scenes to revamp the County’s website, launching next year.

And there's more on the way. Using a $240,000 grant* from the state, our travel and tourism department is awarding its first round of marketing service contracts. That means you're going to start seeing more ads, more outreach, and more of Mercer telling its own story. We've got so much to offer, and now we've got a real way to show it off, bring in more visitors, and create new economic opportunities.

Investing in Trenton

Everyone knows how passionate I am about this, so I also want to spend a few minutes talking about the transformative investments we’re making in our Capital City. For years, people have been talking about Trenton's incredible potential. Now, we're seeing that potential become a reality.

Our multi-million-dollar renovations at Trenton Thunder Ballpark are almost complete, and together with the ballpark’s new ownership, we’re working to bring an MLB-affiliated team back to Trenton. We look forward to celebrating the next chapter of the ballpark with a rededication later this year. And I know the sold-out crowd at opening day appreciated the new amenities and improvements at the park.

Just a few blocks away, upgrades at the CURE Insurance Arena are also underway as we get ready to welcome our new team, the Trenton Ironhawks, who just announced an affiliation with the New York Islanders and will be playing their first game in October. After more than a decade without a professional hockey team, the excitement is high, with more than 1,500 season tickets already sold, we know Mercer is ready for hockey.

Right across the street from the arena, the Mercer Improvement Authority has stepped in to manage the reconstruction of the historic Old Eagle Tavern, one of Trenton’s most cherished historical landmarks. Not only will this preserve Trenton’s history, it’ll be a great spot for folks to grab a drink or a bite to eat before and after a game. It’s another great example of our collaboration with our local Capital government.

These projects aren't just about sports and entertainment. They’re about creating jobs. They’re about bringing people back into the city. Helping local restaurants, bars, and small businesses. And they're proof that when government makes strategic investments, private investment follows. Beyond these private investments, we’ve also worked closely with Governor Sherrill, the Legislature, and our local partners to secure millions of dollars in outside funding for these projects and many others.

We’re already seeing that start to pay off in the South Broad Street corridor, where private and public dollars are creating safer, more walkable neighborhoods. Measurements and markouts are happening now, and construction will begin next Spring. When the work is done, you’ll be able to safely walk to a grocery store without having to worry about tripping on a broken sidewalk. We’ll have working streetlights, better sidewalks, and streets that are safe for both bicycles and cars. And we’ll have a lot more trees and green space to provide shade during these hot summer months. I went to school just a few blocks away, and I'm personally very excited about creating a safer, vibrant neighborhood for everyone who lives and works here.

In Trenton, we’re also making important investments in people and community. We’ve partnered with the City of Trenton to restore and reopen two long-shuttered senior centers, the South Ward Senior Center on Broad Street, and the Reading Senior Center in the North Ward, so the folks who built our communities have a place to gather, connect, and access services in their own neighborhoods. And through our partnership with Mercer County Community College, we're helping advance the vision for the James Kerney Campus in downtown Trenton. The campus has become a growing hub for non-degree certificate programs as well as increasing opportunities for local students to get their associates degree. And we just saw this weekend as hundreds of people came to visit the Capital City anime fest.

We're also reconnecting Trenton to one of its greatest natural resources: the Delaware River. For generations, the river has shaped our community and our nation’s history. But for too long, Trenton has been cut off from its waterfront. Last year, we brought pontoon boats to the Delaware River, and the community response was tremendous. I'm excited to announce they'll be returning again this summer. We’ve also started construction on the new Wharf Park by Cooper’s Riverview, which is a short walk across the parking lot to the ballpark.

And we’re not stopping there. We’re continuing to push an ambitious project known as the Boulevarding of Route 29. Partnering with Mayor Reed Gusciora and the Council, we believe we can right a major wrong that cut off the city from a major portion of its waterfront. When we support our Capital City we are making the future of our entire County brighter, because our administration believes that Mercer is Trenton, and when Trenton succeeds, we all succeed.

Teamwork for Mercer

Lastly, I want to take a moment to thank my team. Our incredible County employees inspire me every day with their hard work, grit, determination, and their commitment to serving our residents. And thank you to my cabinet members who are here with us today. Would you please all stand up?

From our cabinet, to our employees who answer the phones, keep our roads clear, and cut the grass at the parks, this is a team effort. I also want to thank our municipal and state partners, community organizations, labor partners, advocates, and residents who continue working alongside us to move Mercer County forward. And I know I’ve mentioned them already, but I want to give another shoutout to our seven Commissioners, each of whom bring their own ideas and passion.

There’s no question, we have our work cut out for us. None of the investments or projects I talked about today will solve the affordability crisis alone. Rising costs, growing demands on public services, and uncertainty at the federal level continue to create real challenges for working families and for local governments alike.

But I believe people want leaders who are willing to roll up their sleeves, focus on results, and keep moving forward. That's what we've tried to do over the last two and a half years. And that's exactly what we'll continue to do.

Because when I look at Mercer County today, I don't just see challenges. I see opportunity, I see momentum. I see communities that are coming together to build something really special. And that's why I'm optimistic about our future.

The state of Mercer County is strong. The state of Mercer County is resilient. And the state of Mercer County is leading the way because we are showing what it looks like when you have leadership that works for everyone.

Thank you all for your trust, your partnership, and your continued support. Thank you again to the Chamber for hosting us today.

Have a wonderful day. God bless Mercer County and God bless America.

*Correction Update 6/10: The County Executive's speech misstated the amount of the State Grant to the Office of Travel and Tourism. In order to convey accurate information to the public, the text above has been updated to reflect the correct value of the grant, which is $240,000. We apologize for this unintentional error.