By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer, Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes on Thursday used his annual message to tout the strong economy of the county and point to ways that his administration is playing a role., Speaking for 28 minutes at the Freeholder meeting, Mr. Hughes said estimates from November showed the unemployment rate in the county was 3.5 percent, less than the state average, 4.1 percent., “That’s a reflection of the hard work we’ve all put in to strengthen our local economy, yet I know that we can do better,” he said in his state of the county address. “We need to do everything we can to create employment and career opportunities so that all people, regardless of age or circumstance, can take care of themselves and their families, and contribute to the betterment of their communities.”, Mr. Hughes, talking through a cold, sought to claim credit for the strong jobs picture. Now in his fourth term, the Democrat said he is “proud of the record of economic development and job creation… .” He has been in office since 2004., “Since my first days in office until today, Mercer County has seen an increase of 10,800 new jobs and we’ll be increasing that number,” he said., His speech, though, was empty of any new policy ideas or initiatives that his administration intended to embark on in 2017. Rather, he pointed to a project from last year—to have more county residents earn a college degree or its equivalent. He said the five-year-goal is get that number to roughly 2,500 people., Elsewhere in his remarks, he highlighted the work going on at Mercer County Community College to train the workforce. He said the school is “tailoring the curriculum and programs” in order “to meet the needs of employers, particularly those in high-demand technical industries.”, He touted a county program, World of Work, that helps teenagers who have broken the law and are on probation get their lives back in order. In 2016, 15 people were referred to the program, he said., He said World of Work “teaches fundamental soft skills such as time management, good communication skills and the ability to accept criticism. The program pays the youth’s salary for the first 12 weeks, leaving no burden on the employer, and (a) job coach offers guidance along the way.”, Mostly reading from his prepared remarks, he returned to a familiar topic from past speeches: the Trenton-Mercer Airport. He said airline Allegiant recently became the second commercial carrier to operate from the transportation hub, joining Frontier., “I believe that having both Allegiant and Frontier here in Mercer will spur greater competition and will open the market for those who have been unable or unwilling to fly by offering competitive pricing, greater travel options and more convenience,” he said., Yet he said the airport terminal is “becoming increasingly ill-equipped for our growing customer base.”, He also touched on efforts to end homelessness in the county – something he said he was proud of – and mentioned the “multi-year project” to renovate the county courthouse annex in Trenton., Mr. Hughes, elected in 2003 and a county freeholder before that, said he took office vowing “to restore the citizens’ faith in their government and promised integrity, efficiency and honesty.” Yet he did not mention the state Attorney General’s probe of the nonprofit group the Friends of Mercer County Park that saw the offices of the county park commission raided last year and the head of the department, Kevin Bannon, subsequently fired in June., Touching on the newly implemented bail reform that started this month around the state, Mr. Hughes said “we are uncertain whether the reform will further reduce the number of low-risk individuals who could be released pending trial.”, He said the county had to hire more assistant prosecutors and others to comply with the new law, which includes a speedy trial provision for criminal defendants to have their cases indicted and go to trial within deadlines.
