Somerset County Retains AAA-Bond Rating

Standard and Poor's, which downgraded the federal government's debt on Friday, has re-affirmed Somerset County's AAA-bond rating.

That means the county has a higher bond rating than the United States, Freeholder Director Bob Zaborowski said at Tuesday's freeholder meeting.

In re-affirming the county's rating, Standard and Poor's cited the county's "consistently strong fiscal practices" and "conservative budget practices," Zaborowski said.

"We are now rated higher than the United States,'' Zaborowski boasted at Tuesday's meeting. "There is a lot to be proud of," he said.

The firm's action comes after four New Jersey counties were placed on a watch list for a possible downgrade, Freeholder Patrick Scaglione said.

County Administrator Michael Amorosa said Brian Newman, the county's finance director, has done an "outstanding job" and has dedicated "immeasurable time and effort" into working with Standard and Poor's.

In other business at Tuesday night's county freeholders meeting, New Jersey Industrial Safety Committee Governor's Occupational Safety and Health Awards were present to several county government divisions for their safety record.

Honored were the Sheriff's Office, the Prosecutor's Office, the county administration building, the county's senior citizen centers, the county's 911 communications center, the county's building at 27 Warren St. in Somerville, the Richard Hall Mental Health Center in Bridgewater, the Soil Conservation/Rutgers Cooperative Extension in Bridgewater, the county's Psychiatric Emergency Screening Services program at Somerset Medical Center and the county departments for traffic safety services, records retention and audio visual aides.

Freeholder Peter Palmer said the county's safety coordinator Paul Malarcher "does a good job."