[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of Chosen Freeholders of Mercer
County as Ch. 2.13 of the 2003 Mercer County Code (Ord. No. 79-27). Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Pursuant to P.L. 2020, c. 67, effective 1-1-2021, the Code
of Mercer County has been amended to delete the term “Board
of Chosen Freeholders” and replace it with the term “Board
of County Commissioners.” In addition, the terms “Freeholder”
and “Chosen Freeholder” have been deleted and replaced
by the term “County Commissioner.”]
It is the purpose of this chapter to enable the County government
to achieve the following goals:
A. The improvement of relations between the County and the state and
federal governments;
B. The establishment of the best possible systems of grant information
and management in and for the County;
C. The improvement of relations and creation of a working partnership
between the County and her constituent municipalities.
At least twice each year, the Chair of the Board shall convene
a County legislative conference to which shall be invited as participants
with the Board all mayors in the County and all members of the Congress
of the United States and/or the New Jersey Legislature whose districts
include part of the County. The conference shall deal with pending
or possible legislation to benefit the local government of the County.
A. Federal and state reports. If any public or private agency conducts
any program which received County funds and if that same program must
file any reports with the state or federal government, the agency
conducting that program shall simultaneously file with the Clerk of
the Board a true copy of each such report to the federal or state
government, except that any part of a report revealing personal data
concerning private individuals shall be deleted before filing.
B. Federal and state aid applications:
(1)
Any public or private agency receiving County funds shall, upon
initiation of any application for federal or state aid, file with
the Clerk to the Board on forms to be supplied by the Clerk a synopsis
of the program to be applied for, including but not limited to the
subject area, the nature of the project or services applied for, the
jurisdictional area to be served, the number of people to be served,
the expenditures projected for five years after approval of the application
to continue the project, a breakdown by anticipated funding source,
and such other factors as the Board shall direct the Clerk to include.
(2)
Any municipality in the County may voluntarily elect to coordinate
federal and state aid applications not requiring County funding or
approval by electing to file all such applications with the Clerk
to the Board.
C. Contributions from the County. Any public or private agency seeking County funds and simultaneously seeking municipal funds for any program shall file as to its programs the information required in Subsection
B of this section.
D. Clearinghouse function.
(1)
All such synopses as are submitted shall be updated by the submitting
agency at the following times:
(a)
At least 10 days before the County Executive or the Board is
asked to approve any such application;
(b)
Within 10 days after approval by the federal or state grantor
agency;
(c)
Within 10 days after renewal by the federal or state grantor
agency;
(d)
Within 10 days after rejection by the federal or state grantor
agency;
(e)
Within 10 days after any substantial amendment has been made
in the scope of the project or services proposed or when the estimated
expenditures are increased by more than 20%.
(2)
When any application has been presented to the Executive or
the Board for an approval or renewal, the person heading the applying
agency shall certify in writing that he/she knows of his/her personal
knowledge that the requirements of this chapter have been met.
(3)
Whenever any County office is asked to review any application
under any review procedure, the office conducting the review shall
examine all the synopses on file with the Clerk to the Board in order
to determine if there is any conflict or duplication or potential
consolidation between the application under review and any application
or program on file.
(4)
Whenever any application is submitted to the Executive or the
Board for formal County approval or for a commitment of County funds,
the person heading the applying agency shall certify in writing that
he/she is personally satisfied from a thorough review of the synopses
on file with the Clerk to the Board that the application to be approved
does not duplicate or conflict with any existing application or program
nor could it be consolidated with any of the same.
A. There is established a Municipal Advisory Council consisting of the
mayors of all of the municipalities in the County. The Board will
meet at least quarterly with the Advisory Council to discuss County
and municipal problems, County-municipal relations, cooperation in
service problems, coordination of operations and capital facilities
development, and other subjects of mutual interest in order to provide
closer County-municipal liaison and cooperation. In addition, the
Advisory Council may organize itself, appoint such officers, designate
such committees, and convene such meetings as it may deem advisable.
It shall encourage cooperative action and solutions to area-wide problems
and shall formulate and develop proposals for submission to the Board
on request of the Board or on its own motion. The Council shall have
such staff as the Board may authorize subject to the availability
of funds.
B. At least one meeting of the Municipal Advisory Council shall be held
at least 30 days prior to the introduction of the County operating
and capital budgets and the mayors shall be invited to enumerate their
budget priorities in terms of County expenditures.
Within the limits of funds appropriated for such purposes, the
Board may study the feasibility of any County-municipal service program
it feels may be in the public interest for the provision of services
more efficiently and effectively.