The Hudson County Board of Commissioners voted to move the Division of Weights and Measures to the Law Department, after being under the sheriff’s office for years, at last week’s meeting.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“This involved the moving of weights and measures from the sheriff to the Law Department?” asked Hudson County Commissioner Bill O’Dea (D-2).
“Correct,” replied Hudson County Administrator Abe Antun.
“So, how much revenue, per year, does that division currently generate, approximately?” O’Dea continued.
“Off the top of my head commissioner, I don’t know because that revenue gets deposited into a trust fund,” Antun explained.
“Well, currently it does but that might change once you move it over,” O’Dea quipped back.
Hudson County Counsel Alberico De Pierro and Antun both said that would not happen if the division was moved under another department.
O’Dea asked that if the current trust fund is utilized by the sheriff, to which Antun said only the Division of Weights and Measures.
“So, could it only be used by weights and measures and not used for any other cost that the sheriff has?” O’Dea pressed forward.
“It’s limited to weights and measures because they, I’m sure you know what they do so, they purchase equipment, supplies, staff – I don’t know that you can use staff for it,” Antun answered, clarifying that the funds did not go towards salaries and staff.
O’Dea further questioned if the revenue that the Division of Weights and Measures was not generating enough money to sustain itself, to which Antun said yes, that was his interpretation.
“It is guided by statutory provisions as to what can and cannot be done,” De Pierro added.
The longest serving incumbent county commissioner then asked one more time if there was any way for any other division or department to use the money in the Division of Weights and Measures trust fund, to which he was again told no.
Division of Weights and Measure Superintendent Frank Alonso, who unsuccessfully sought a state Assembly seat in the 33rd Legislative District on Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop’s “Democrats for Change” slate, sought to provide further clarity.
“The trust account for weights and measures is only used for weights and measures equipment, vehicles, the only thing it doesn’t cover is staffing. Everything else comes out of the trust account for weights and measures,” he said.
O’Dea said he understood, noting that staffing is paid by the county, before asking Alonso is he knew how much revenue the division makes.
“In registrations, anywhere between 200 and $250,000, it all varies on the businesses that are opened and closed in the county, and fines, commissioner, is also depends on fines issued throughout the county,” Alonso explained.
“Now, with the cannabis population growing, there’s going to be an average of 300 licenses issued in the county, which is definitely going to generate revenue, again, for the county and their trust funds.”
Later, the current balance of the weights and measures trust fund was revealed to be approximately $718,500.
The measure was ultimately adopted unanimously on second reading (9-0).