Mercer County Projects To Get A Piece Of $178M From Federal Bill

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — Mercer County now stands to benefit from President Joe Biden's $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill. Money for education, healthcare, wildlife habitat, flood resilience and more is coming to the County as part of $178 million in local project money distributed across New Jersey.

A number of Democratic Garden State lawmakers cheered Biden's $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill, which includes funds earmarked for projects across the U.S.

Lawmakers could add projects requested by members for their districts, in a practice known as earmarking. As the Associated Press reports, this practice had become less common, and some conservatives criticized the earmarks as wasteful.

This year, members of Congress had tighter restrictions but could submit community projects as part of the bill.

Here's some of what's coming to Mercer County:

• Trenton Artwalk Project Project: $500,000 for lighting and murals along a pedestrian and bicycle passage between the Trenton Transit Center and downtown Trenton.
• Capital Health Mobile Simulation Lab: $550,330 for medical training equipment as part of the new Mobile Simulation Lab as part of its continuing education for healthcare workers.
• Mercer County Emerald Ash Borer Management and Ash Tree Restoration: $625,000 for the removal and replanting of ash trees in NJ-12, and other reforestation efforts in areas with ash loss. The project will benefit wildlife habitat quality, the water quality of local streams and rivers, public safety, and ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, and water filtration, flood control and air quality.
• Trenton Wharf Flood Resilience Project: $1,000,000 to be used to restore Trenton Fishing Wharf Park and install stormwater management to reduce flooding.
• New Jersey Chamber of Commerce Foundation: $270,000 to provide student training and equipment.
• NJ Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Lawrenceville: 440,000 to develop statewide post-COVID-19 survivors of sexual violence support and resource program.
• New Jersey State Library, Trenton: $206,000 to digitize and make available to the public New Jersey's unique and rare library collection.

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