Mercer County Executive Dan Benson delivered his 2025 State of the County address on June 17, celebrating a year of recovery and laying out a forward-looking vision for the region’s future.
Speaking at a Princeton-Mercer Chamber of Commerce event, Benson acknowledged the financial difficulties the county faced last year but said his administration responded decisively.
“Last year, when I spoke, I was clear about the challenges ahead. We were in a tough financial spot,” Benson said. “So we rolled up our sleeves, we tightened our belts, and we went to work.”
He said the county is on firmer financial ground thanks to cost-saving measures and operational changes, which he credited with restoring fiscal stability and laying a foundation for long-term growth.
“Now, Mercer County is planting seeds for our future, and that future is bright,” Benson said.
“Because Mercer is a special place, and we believe that it should be leading the way,” he said. “We want to set the standard. We want to show the entire region how government can and should work for people.”
Benson emphasized collaboration, citing strong ties with the Board of County Commissioners and improved coordination with all 12 municipalities.
He also highlighted major milestones reached over the past year, including the groundbreaking on upgrades to the Trenton Thunder ballpark, the launch of the South Broad Street Vision Plan, and enhancements at Trenton Mercer Airport.
Other accomplishments included the reconstruction of the historic Eagle Tavern, progress connecting the Johnson Trolley Line Trail, and an award-winning restoration of the Montgomery Street Bridge.
In addition to infrastructure, Benson pointed to advances in public health and safety, expanded social services, increased diversity in vendor contracts, and the creation of the Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs.
“For the first time in a long time, there’s real energy and excitement about the future of Mercer County and our Capital City,” he said. “Because of the hard work of this amazing team, I can say with confidence that the state of Mercer County is much better today than it was just a year ago.”
The full text of Benson’s speech is below:
Before we begin, I want to take a moment to acknowledge the passing of our former County Executive Brian Hughes.
Brian was a devoted public servant and a truly decent man who led Mercer County for 20 years. I had the opportunity to work with him and I know how deeply he believed in public service and helping those in need.
Our thoughts are with his wife Pam, his son Sullivan, and the entire Hughes family.
I also want to start by thanking my longtime friend—and now Robbinsville Councilman—Hal English, along with his outstanding team at the Princeton-Mercer Chamber of Commerce, for organizing today’s event.
Last year, when I spoke, I was clear about the challenges ahead. We were in a tough financial spot. Our credit rating was at risk and it threatened our ability to deliver for the people who depend on us.
So we all rolled up our sleeves. We tightened our belts. And we got to work. Today, I’m proud to report that the hard work is starting to pay off.
We asked our County employees to do more with less, and they rose to the occasion. Our team worked late into the night crunching numbers, and we passed a budget that will put us in a much stronger position. Now while there’s more work to do, we’re on the right path.
At a time when our leaders in DC are choosing to put billionaires ahead of working families, here in Mercer, we’re choosing a different path. We’re choosing to invest in our community and our people.
Now, Mercer County is planting seeds for our future and that future is bright.
Because Mercer is a special place, and we believe that it should be leading the way. We want to set the standard. We want to show the entire region how government can and should work for people.
We have the vision. We have the talent. And boy do we have a great team. We’re ready to work alongside our partners at the town and state levels to turn that vision into a reality.
None of our progress would be possible without the people who keep our County running. I wanted to take a moment to thank all of our amazing County employees from top to bottom.
To our residents and community leaders: thank you for your feedback, for your partnership, and for standing with us as we build a stronger Mercer County for all. We’ve accomplished a lot over the past year, and I’m excited to report on some of the progress we’ve made.
Trenton Thunder Ballpark
We’re driving economic development across the county by partnering with our cities. And there’s no better example than our work with the Capitol City. Our partnership with Trenton is essential to Mercer’s future, and we’re just getting started.
One of the projects I’m most proud of is the investment we’re making to upgrade the Trenton Thunder ballpark. I remember 30 years ago when the ballpark first opened. Like many of you, I have enjoyed going to games and eating hot dogs there, and cheering on the Thunder and our great Golden Retriever bat dogs. Now I get to bring my son to that same ballpark.
Thanks to the leadership of Joe Pizza in our parks departments, we’re preparing the ballpark to today’s Major League Baseball standards to attract an affiliated team once again.
And thanks to Assemblyman Verrelli’s tireless advocacy and the support of our legislators, we secured $6.5 million in the state budget to make it happen. Trenton is a baseball town in a baseball region, and Mercer County is fully committed to seeing this project through.
Even if baseball’s not your sport, upgrading the ballpark is about a whole lot more than that. It’s about what happens around the stadium: creating jobs, supporting local businesses, and making our streets more vibrant.
It’s part of a larger vision that includes the ballpark, the arena, downtown Trenton, and the revitalization of the Delaware waterfront, which will reconnect Trenton to its riverfront. It’s a home run for the entire community.
South Broad Street Vision Plan
Another project that’s close to my heart is the South Broad Street Vision Plan. I grew up just a mile up the road—I went to school right off South Broad Street a few blocks from the County Administration Building. I’m a proud graduate of Holy Cross Grammar School, now housing the Foundation Academy High School.
That’s why I’m so excited about what we’re doing from Cass Street to around the Cure Arena. We’re transforming it into a hub for sports, history, government, and entertainment.
Our streetscaping plan will completely modernize the area with new sidewalks, bike lanes, ADA- compliant ramps, lane restriping, and landscaping.
This is going to be a vibrant district that complements the small business commercial development that’s already happening in the neighborhood, and we’re working on stakeholder engagement and gathering the community’s input as we speak.
This project wouldn’t be possible without our strong partners: Mayor Reed Gusciora, the EO-40 staff led by Treasurer Liz Muoio, and the support of Commissioner Jacquelyn Suarez and HMFA Executive Director Melanie Walter. Their leadership has been instrumental in making this vision a reality.
Trenton Mercer Airport
We’ve made major progress at the Trenton-Mercer Airport in Ewing Township—progress that’s been years in the making. When I ran for this office, I pledged to see the Terminal Replacement Project through to completion and to build it with local union labor. And we’re delivering on that promise.
Because this isn’t just a county project, it’s a major draw for the entire region. In fact, the airport actually brings in as many travelers from Pennsylvania as the Trenton Thunder ballpark.
The new Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting building is the first step toward unlocking the airport’s full potential as a modern transportation and economic hub.
Thanks to the strategic leadership of our interim Airport Director, Eric Billowitz, we were able to shift the funding for this project from federal ARPA funds to County funds.
That move allowed us to break ground right away, freed up federal dollars for other critical needs within our community, and made the project eligible for partial FAA reimbursement. In fact, we’ve created new signage to direct people to the airport, as you can see on the slide.
Mercer County Libraries
Speaking of federal funds, we’ve put our ARPA dollars to work to make urgent infrastructure needs across our county libraries. From roof repairs to HVAC replacements, we’re making sure that these public places remain safe, welcoming, and accessible for the entire community.
Eagle Tavern
Over at the Improvement Authority, we’ve stepped in to manage the reconstruction for the reopening of the historic Old Eagle Tavern, one of Trenton’s most cherished landmarks.
The City of Trenton received $3.5 million in EDA funds for this project, and the County is proud to serve as a partner, like we are doing with Hamilton to build their new municipal complex. I want to thank Mercer County Improvement Authority Executive Director Anthony Verrelli for his leadership on this project.
Mercer 250 & Visit Mercer
Next year marks our Nation’s 250th anniversary. It’s an extraordinary opportunity to reflect on our legacy and celebrate our community.
Under the leadership of Culture and Heritage Division Chief Idamis Margicin and Tourism Division Director Jamie Volkert, we’re coordinating with our towns and partners to tell our story so we’re ready to welcome new visitors and highlight everything Mercer has to offer.
You can see the new logo on the screen, and we hope to launch our new website later this year.
Connecting Communities
Good travel means good planning, and planning and innovation have been central to our progress in our first year. Under Planning Director Maria Connolly, we’re advancing bold, people-first initiatives that connect communities and move Mercer forward.
That includes expanding multimodal transportation, creating inclusive playgrounds, implementing Complete Streets and Vision Zero strategies, and transitioning our TRADE fleet for seniors, veterans and the disabled to electric vehicles.
Trail Stewardship Program
This year, we reached a major milestone in the long-anticipated opening of the Johnson Trolley Line Trail—a key investment in active transportation and community connectivity.
This project has been many years in the making, and we’re finally getting it across the finish line.
We received a $25 million commitment from the state to ensure the trolley lines connect communities from Trenton to Princeton with a key bridge over Route 295. This is an important win for equity in our communities.
We’re also excited about another major step forward in our trails system: the opening of the new section of Lawrence Hopewell trail.
This new half-mile section winds through preserved wetlands and provides a safe, scenic route for cyclists and walkers that allows them to avoid the traffic on Princeton Pike.
Alongside that, we’re excited to be partnering with the County Commissioners to launch a new trail stewardship initiative. This effort will use open space dollars to create a grant program for nonprofits and municipalities dedicated to managing our trails and ensuring our open spaces remain accessible, safe, and equitable for all.
Mercer in Motion
Also this year, we hosted our first-ever Mercer in Motion Transportation Conference, showcasing the incredible forward-thinking leadership of our planning team and highlighting the innovative mobility solutions that are shaping our future.
It truly is an all of government approach here in Mercer. And we were able to tell our story statewide.
Emergency Communications
We completed a critical upgrade to our emergency communications system by implementing the new P25 Radio System.
This major investment in our emergency response radio system will make our community safer by allowing for real interoperability among all our towns and their public safety entities.
That means that our police, fire, EMS, and emergency management teams across Mercer can now communicate more reliably and in real time during emergencies.
I want to thank Deputy County Administrator Ana Montero and OEM Coordinator Rich Kraemer and their team for their outstanding leadership.
Strengthening Infrastructure
The County’s making real progress across the board when it comes to upgrading our infrastructure.
Our County Engineer, Sunny Muzaffar, has expanded our ambitious bridge replacement program. This work includes award-winning projects like the Montgomery Street Bridge over Assunpink Creek near Mill Hill in Trenton.
Our rehabilitation of the bridge has won awards from the American Council of Engineering Companies, the NJ chapter of ACEC, the New Jersey
Society of Professional Engineers, and the Mercer chapter of NJSPE, that’s basically the engineering equivalent of an actor winning their EGOT.
We also recently opened a new roundabout near the Avalon development by train station in West Windsor to improve traffic flow and increase safety tremendously, and we have more upgrades on the way.
And DOT Director Steve Benner has been laser-focused on our roads. His team has repaved and maintained many miles of county roads and adjacent municipal roads, extending their lifespan and keeping them safe. He’s also added ADA compliance to many of our sidewalks through the partnership we have with the Bricklayers Union.
We’ve partnered with all 12 of our municipalities and with Greater Mercer TMA to launch the countywide Vision Zero Action Plan to analyze traffic data, identify high-risk areas, and gather public input to make our roads safer.
We look forward to working with our Commissioners on the next step as we establish Vision Zero as a priority for the county.
Culture, Arts, & Tourism
Of course, a strong community is about a whole lot more than just roads and bridges. That’s why we continue to support the arts through programs like the Teen Arts and Senior Arts Shows, and cultural events like Latino Fest and our Cultural Festival.
With so much progress underway, it’s more important than ever that residents and businesses can easily engage with their County government. That’s why we’re excited to launch a redesigned, user-friendly county website focused on accessibility, transparency, and services.
The new site will support our tourism and economic development goals, as well as our 250th, making Mercer County more welcoming to visitors and attractive to new businesses. Stay tuned for more.
Federal Budget Obstacles
While we’re looking ahead, we’re also keeping a close eye on what’s happening down in Washington.
Because the uncertainty and dysfunction are already starting to impact us. Reckless decisions by the Trump administration threaten the programs our most vulnerable neighbors depend on every day.
Now, federal funding may only account for 8% of our county budget, but those dollars are so important.
They support programs that lift up historically marginalized communities, programs like public health, capital improvement projects, and job training programs, not to mention the bulk of social services like Medicaid and SNAP food benefits.
That’s why we’re doubling down on our commitment to deliver for our residents, regardless of what happens at the federal level. And it’s why fixing our finances has been so important.
Mercer needs to be ready to step up and meet the needs of our residents when others fall short. And we will.
Stabilizing Finances & Operational Changes
None of these incredible achievements would be possible without the hard work that our team has done to clean up our County’s finances.
By tackling these financial issues head-on and eliminating unnecessary debt, we’ve been able to free up the resources to invest in these projects that benefit our entire community.
When we took office, we inherited a well-documented fiscal crisis. In our first budget we inherited a budget deficit of more than 27 million dollars.
Many departments were under- budgeted and grappling with staffing vacancies. Grants were not accounted for. Audits and financial statements were overdue.
Internal financial records were in disarray. And we had over 10 million dollars in deferred charges that had been kicked down the road. Sadly, it simply wasn’t sustainable.
Last year’s budget required hard decisions, including a tax increase. The mess left by the previous administration, as well as the short-sighted decisions of the federal government, made it hard for the county.
But with the right team, great town and state partners, we’ve made real progress and have a strong plan for the future. That has already resulted in a budget this year that is flat for most homeowners.
Our team implemented internal cost-saving measures, restored accountability, and brought discipline back to our budgeting process.
And this isn’t just coming from me, it’s being noticed by our credit rating agencies.
Here’s a direct quote from a statement that Moody’s just put out on Friday: “The county’s new financial management team has worked to improve operations and establish more effective budgeting practices which are starting to show positive results. Fiscal 2025 operations are trending well to budget and fund balance should grow by the end of the year.”
We’ve also made several important operational changes to ensure something like this doesn’t happen again, and those changes are starting to deliver results.
We’ve updated our accounting procedures and created a corrective action plan for the issues that were flagged in the 2022 and 2023 audit. And we’ve been making great progress.
We fully implemented the Edmunds accounting system. Today, this modern software is saving us millions through better management of grants, procurement, and accounts payable and receivable.
The grant oversight piece of this is critical— mismanagement cost us over $1 million in over- expended funds in 2023 alone.
Thanks to this system, we’ve been able to clean up our debt sheets and refocus on strategic investments across the County. I want to thank CFO Nick Trasente for his leadership and for his amazing team.
We reevaluated our use of Prime Point, which is the County’s payroll and HR software. And because of the leadership of Alejandra Silva in Human Resources, we are now fully leveraging the platform’s capabilities and getting more productive out of it to boot.
We’ve adopted a new employee manual and we’ve made it a top priority to recognize employee milestones.
At a time when our nation’s public employees are under attack, I’m proud to say that here in Mercer, morale is strong—because we know Mercer County is only as strong as the people who serve it.
Human Services
Our Deputy Administrator of Community Services, Taraun Tice McKnight, is leading the way in preserving and expanding the County’s programs to help those in need.
This year, we’ve made significant strides in addressing food insecurity, housing, mental health, and homelessness to ensure that no one in Mercer County gets left behind.
In partnership with the Rescue Mission, we supported the launch of a Respite Center to support residents who are discharged from hospitals but don’t have a safe place to go to recover.
Under Deputy Director Jackie Cornell’s leadership, we established a new Office of Food Security, backed by a $2 million investment in innovative anti-hunger initiatives.
We’re taking a proactive, community-based approach to mental health and addiction services. We’re partnering with InSite Health, a virtual care provider that serves both children and adults.
InSite is also deploying outreach teams into the community and embedding at community events to meet people where they are and directly connect with residents in need.
This work is supported by our Opioid Settlement Commission, which now includes representatives from all 12 of Mercer County’s municipalities—a testament to our collaborative spirit in making sure we end opioid death and end the disease of addiction.
Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs
Mercer County took a historic step forward by creating the Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs, and this new office has been doing meaningful, important work this year.
As we celebrate Pride Month, the Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs is a major part of our ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and our support for the entire community.
This office serves as a hub to help LGBTQIA+ residents navigate government programs and access essential services such as job training, housing, and economic development.
It also plays a key role in assessing the evolving needs of the community, providing educational resources about legal rights, and supporting our outreach efforts across county government.
Public Health & Safety
Many of the programs that are most at risk from federal budget cuts are those in public health and safety.
When we came into office, we knew that Public Health and Safety faced serious challenges after many years of being underfunded. Many systems were outdated, and many of our protocols were untested. We weren’t ready for the next major emergency.
COVID-19 made it clear how important it is to be well-practiced and prepared. Few know this better than our Deputy Administrator for Public Safety & Public Health and Deputy County Administrator Ana Montero, who spent her entire career on the frontlines of emergency response. Today, thanks to her leadership, Mercer County is more resilient than ever.
We’ve made more progress this year on public health than ever before. We exceeded our goal of Environmental Health Inspections to ensure the places where we live and work are safe and clean. We held 31 outreach events and provided services to over 2,000 people.
We enacted a brand-new shared service agreement with West Windsor and Trenton to create a countywide Hazmat response team. For the first time, the County will help cover some of the costs to those municipalities, and we’re applying for a DCA LEAP GRANT to cover our costs at the county level.
Our team at the Office of Emergency Management is hard at work making sure we’re ready for whatever comes next. And under the leadership of OEM Coordinator Rich Kraemer, we have made tremendous strides.
We implemented a situation report that helps our partners convey important messages and events. And we conducted 9 joint exercises, including a tabletop exercise regarding Trenton Waterworks.
Our Health Officer, Kristin Reed, has stepped up to fill in for Trenton and Hopewell as a temporary health officer during their time of need in staff changes.
Moving forward in 2025, we will be rolling out a comprehensive health needs assessment with an implementation plan to follow.
Commitment to Diversity in Procurement
While the federal government is rolling back DEI initiatives, Mercer County is stepping them up. As we get ready to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday, we’re taking time to reflect on our progress and to acknowledge the work that’s still ahead.
We know that we have more work to do when it comes to diversity in our public contracting. In 2018, the county launched its first Set-Aside Program. That effort was followed by a Disparity Study, which identified the places where we’d fallen short.
So, to reach our equity goals, we’re taking bold action both internally and externally.
Internally, we’re expanding awareness of minority-, woman-, veteran-, and LGBTQIA-owned contractors. We’re publicizing our vendor directory, hosting open houses, and working to build connections between our staff and diverse vendors.
Externally, we’re working with our state partners to improve certification, boost awareness, and hold training sessions on bidding, benefits, and program participation.
We’re taking steps to ensure our equity efforts are accountable and sustainable. These include regular disparity studies every three years, the creation of a Set-Aside Advisory Council, and improved data tracking.
We are launching a new Micro-Funding Enterprise Program for minority-, woman-, veteran-, and LGBTQ-owned businesses with five or fewer employees that haven’t previously worked with the county.
This initiative lowers barriers to entry and creates new opportunities for small businesses to grow and succeed.
None of this would be possible without the leadership of Anthony Carabelli and his outstanding team as Director of Economic Development.
One Mercer County
Finally, I want to speak to our broader vision: One Mercer County.
Our government is large, and many of its entities operate independently. Since taking office, we’ve made it a priority to break down silos and promote unity.
We’ve built strong partnerships with Mercer County Community College President Dr. Debbie Preston, Mercer County Board of Social Services Director Jeff Mascoll, Mercer County Technical Schools and Special Services School District Superintendent Matt Carey, and Ellen Brown at the Mercer County Library System.
Each of them is doing important work, and we’re making County government more efficient by collaborating together.
There’s no limit to how many partners we can have, because everyone has a role to play in Mercer County’s success.
A Better Mercer Together
We’ve come a long way, and we’re not done yet. For the first time in a long time, there’s real energy and excitement about the future of Mercer County and our Capitol City.
We’re dusting off lots of ideas and projects that sat on the shelf for years and we’re finally making them a reality.
We’ve stabilized our finances, built a strong team, made smart investments, collaborated and coordinated with towns and state partners, and are laying the foundation for a stronger, better Mercer.
We’ve done that by embracing our diversity—diversity of background, of perspective, and of ideas—and staying open to new ideas and innovative solutions. Because of the hard work of this amazing team, I can say with confidence that the state of Mercer County is much better today than it was just a year ago.
But we’re not out of the woods. We still face some tough decisions as we continue to clean up. The pressures from DC aren’t going away. And the needs in our communities are real. But we are Mercer County, and we aren’t afraid of hard work.
We can’t do it alone. We need your help to keep this momentum going. Let’s keep proving that when we work together, we can make government work for everyone.
I’m proud to be the leader of this county, to have the support of the Commissioner Board, and to count so many of you as friends.
Thank you again to Hal and the Chamber for hosting us today. Together, we’re building a stronger, more inclusive, and more vibrant Mercer County.
Have a wonderful rest of your day. God bless Mercer County and god bless America.
County Executive Dan Benson delivers the 2025 State of the County Address on June 17 to a meeting of the Princeton-Mercer Chamber of Commerce. (File photo.),
