Kearny Mayor Al Santos explained to Hudson County View why two local businesses should be stripped of their state-issued urban enterprise zone (UEZ) privileges after being repeatedly fined by the town, as well as for failing to comply with local zoning laws that the state has no role in enforcing.Â
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“There’s a disconnect between the local requirements and the state UEZ program,” Santos told Hudson County View in a sit-down interview last week.
“A business could sit up shop in a UEZ municipality, such as Kearny, and immediately obtain UEZ benefits such as exemptions on sales taxes and equipment and tax credits on employees if they’re not legally established in the locality.”
“For example, we have two businesses who do not have certificates of occupancy are zoning violations because the uses are not permitted where they opened,” Santos continued.
“We are in court with them, we’ve issued fines, and nonetheless, the state of New Jersey admitted them into the UEZ program and they’re deriving all the benefits of a UEZ member.”
Editor’s Note: While Kearny Mayor Al Santos did not state it outright, Hudson County View has since learned that the two businesses in question are Marjam Supply Co. and Cabinets To Go.
