The Mercer County Board of Social Services (MCBOSS) has been serving the
citizens of Mercer County since 1932. It was established under the authority of
New Jersey Statutes Annotated (NJSA) 44.
In New Jersey, public assistance programs are federally funded, state supervised
and county administered. Therefore, county boards of social services are true
intergovernmental agencies accountable to all three levels of government. This
is an inherently demanding task given the varying focuses and mandates of the
different government entities.
In calendar year 2004, MCBOSS provided services in response to more than 110,000
requests, an increase of 10% over 2003, at a cost to Mercer County of $14.9
million. This county investment allows MCBOSS to access $240 million in state
and federal funds. The net result is that every dollar the county allocates,
results in $19 federal or state dollars being returned to provide direct
services to its citizens.
Federal law and state statutes require that the care of the poor be removed from
the often conflicting interests of the political arena. This intention has been
clearly illustrated in several ways, specifically, the Hatch Act (which limits
MCBOSS employees’ political activities), requirements that staff positions be
part of the Merit System and be assigned to the classified service, and
establishment of autonomous boards.
Approximately 10,000 families and individuals visit MCBOSS’ office or one of its
outreach sites on a monthly basis to seek assistance in one of its thirty
programs.