Public Notices

The Middlesex County Board of Social Services has instituted a policy to negotiate agreements for professional services, as such are defined in N.J.S.A. 40A:11-2(6), on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualification for the type of professional services required by the Board, at low and reasonable fees. To this end, the Middlesex County Board of Social Services may require the following services in 2027:

I.  PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES

     A.  PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES AS COUNSEL TO THE BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES

            The following is the minimum threshold qualification requirements that will be utilized for solicitation of persons and/or law firms to be considered for the above:

           1. Admission to the New Jersey Bar for a minimum of fifteen (15) years;

           2. Minimum of ten (10) years’ experience in representing a governing body of a County or County agency with preference for experience representing one or more county welfare agencies;

           3. Experience with public bidding, contracts, public assistance including but not limited to the Medicaid, SNAP, and General/Emergency Assistance programs, administrative law, governance, and personnel issues;

           4. Maintains a concentrated practice of law representing public entities in New Jersey.

     B.  PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES FOR SPECIAL LABOR COUNSEL

           To provide legal services in connection with employment matters and the implementation of the existing collective negotiations agreements.

          The following is the minimum threshold qualification requirements that will be utilized for the solicitation of persons and/or firms to be considered for the above:

          1.  Admission to the New Jersey Bar for a minimum of fifteen (15) years.

           2.  Has a concentrated law practice in the field Labor Law for a minimum of ten (10) years, including matters before the Public Employment Relations Commission and Civil Service Commission.

     C.  PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES FOR SPECIAL CHILD SUPPORT COUNSEL

To represent the Middlesex County Board of Social Services in Family Court in all Child Support Hearings and related matters.

The following is the minimum threshold qualification requirements that will be utilized for solicitation of law firms to be considered for the above:

1. Admission to the New Jersey Bar for a minimum of fifteen (15) years.
2. Law firm must maintain a concentrated practice or Department exclusively devoted to Family Law. An attorney assigned to represent the Board must have either completed a Judicial Clerkship in the Family Court and/or been employed by the Family Court.
3. Any attorney assigned to represent the Board must be familiar with, at a minimum, the following: Family Court rules and procedures; statutes and regulations governing Child Support; Uniform Interstate Family Support Act (UIFSA); Title IV-D Child Support Enforcement (CSE) Program; and Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QRDO).
4. Law firm must have the capability to assign back-up counsel who meet the criteria set forth above.
5. Law firm must maintain a clerical or para-professional staff necessary to support the attorney(s) assigned to represent the Board.

II. AUDITING SERVICES

 The successful firm must have significant experience in New Jersey public auditing for County Welfare Agencies and shall be licensed as a registered municipal accountant in the State of New Jersey. The accounting services required shall include, but not be limited to:

1. Making routine investigations, examinations and audits of books and financial records and preparing report thereof.
2. Making inspections of various financial transactions and records to insure that concerned regulations and accounting procedures are observed.
3. Assigning and supervising the work of clerical employees.
4. Auditing and recording expense invoices and preparing and editing reports of costs and other financial summaries and statements.
5. Compiling financial and other statements and reports using basic data.
6. Making periodic reviews of financial transactions and supplements by field visits to verify accounting and fiscal practices.
7. Preparing detailed reports of audits containing findings, conclusions and recommendations including, but not limited to, the 2026 annual audit of MCBSS in conformance with the requirements of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Office of Auditing, and the Federal Single Audit Act of 1984.
8. Maintaining essential auditing records and files.
9. Learning to utilize various types of electronic or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agency, office or related units.
10. Anything else necessary and proper for the completion of auditor duties.
11. Any other matter as directed by MCBSS officials.

Any interested professional shall, at a minimum, submit the following:

1. Names of all individuals who may provide services to the Middlesex County Board of Social Services;
2. The qualifications, experience, and educational background of these individuals;
3. References and records of success;
4. Hourly rate of each individual assigned to the project.
5. For firms submitting proposals for Auditing Services, an anticipated dollar amount for the total work to be performed for budget approval purposes.  If the audit will exceed the approved budgeted amount, prior Board authorization with justification will be required. 

Individuals and/or firms are to submit two (2) copies of their qualifications to: Middlesex County Board of Social Services, P.O. Box 509, 181 How Lane, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08903, Attn: Dara Harkay, Director. Said qualifications shall be submitted no later than 11:00 AM on Thursday, October 29, 2026. Entire qualification submission shall be no more than ten (10) letter-sized sheets. Interested parties shall also include with their submission a copy of their New Jersey Business Registration Certificate and one (1) of the approved Affirmative Action documents.

Individuals and/or firms that meet the threshold qualifications may be requested to submit proposals in 2027 for services provided in the 2028 calendar year.

This is a notice that all official legal advertisements and public notices for Middlesex County Board of Social Services are now published online in accordance with New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 35:3-5). Visit our official website at:  https://middlesexsocialservices.com/public-notices/. These online notices provide the public with full access to all legal announcements, replacing traditional print publication requirements. 

Dara Harkay, Director
Middlesex County Board of Social Services

An archive of Public Notices issued by the Middlesex County Board of Social Services can be found here.