Hunterdon County hosts third shared services forum highlighting collaboration and innovation

HUNTERDON COUNTY, N.J. — The Hunterdon County Board of County Commissioners hosted its third Shared Services Forum on Saturday, bringing together municipal leaders, county departments and community partners to explore opportunities for collaboration aimed at enhancing public services while reducing costs for local governments.

The forum drew a strong turnout from local officials, with significant discussion focused on areas such as cybersecurity.

Deputy Director Shaun C. Van Doren praised the initiative as an example of collaborative leadership. “The Shared Services Forum reflects Hunterdon County’s commitment to working together with our municipal partners to deliver smarter, more efficient government. By sharing resources and embracing innovation, we can better serve our residents while easing the burden on local taxpayers,” Van Doren said.

Several updates and initiatives were highlighted during the session. The Hunterdon County Health Department outlined a proposal to streamline inspections for mobile food vendors and introduce a unified licensing system to replace separate municipal licenses and fees. The River Crossing YMCA presented its expanding youth and community programs, including a turnkey summer camp package for municipalities.

Raritan Valley Community College unveiled its new Workforce Training Center, designed to provide specialized career training and professional development.

Michael Geraghty, New Jersey’s chief information security officer and director of the NJ Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC), discussed state-level efforts to support local governments and introduced a “cybersecurity report card” system that grades municipalities from “A” to “F” with recommendations for improvements.

“The Health Department is pleased to take part in the Shared Services Forum Series. During the recent session, we introduced county-wide licensing for temporary food vendors, like food trucks — a strategy to simplify the process for Hunterdon County municipalities and businesses while protecting public health. This approach supports both community well-being and economic growth,” said Karen DeMarco, director of the Department of Health.

Van Doren added that the county looks forward to continuing the effort. “We look forward to continuing our commitment to collaboration at the next Shared Services Forum on October 18th,” he said. “These forums are a valuable opportunity for the county and our municipal partners to share ideas, tackle challenges, and identify new ways to work together for the benefit of our residents.”