October 14, 2026 Return to the Regular Meeting

The County of Sussex Board of County Commissioners’ return to regular meeting on October 14, 2026 included procurement and budget matters. The board unanimously approved a resolution authorizing an agreement with Jersey Central Power & Light to install electric distribution facilities at 135 Morris Turnpike in Frankford Township; the county said it was reapproving the item after JCP&L identified an error in its original paperwork. The board also adopted resolutions A through M and approved the October 14 bills list. A separate contract/change-order/bid resolution was presented, but the transcript does not provide its details. County counsel described a requested renewal of Cellebrite digital-forensics software for the Prosecutor’s Office; the renewal’s cost and any separate vote are not clear in the transcript. Public comment raised privacy and misuse concerns, while counsel cited law-enforcement uses of the technology.

The county began its 2027 departmental budget hearings, with operating-budget hearings expected to conclude the following week and capital-budget discussions to follow. The administrator reported a projected 11.32% medical and prescription insurance increase—slightly more than $3 million—and said the broker was exploring ways to lower it. Commissioners also discussed the county jail’s possible sale or reuse; no disposition decision was made, and a feasibility-study resolution had previously passed 5–0 in January 2026. Public commenters questioned the process for declaring the jail surplus and requested further public review.