Union City Housing Authority terminates legal contract of Julio Morejon

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After the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) deemed his contract to be “legally flawed,” the Union City Housing Authority terminated the legal contract of Julio Morejon at Tuesday night’s meeting. 

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Morejon’s contract with the authority, where he earned about $98,000 last year, came under scrutiny after News 12’s Kane In Your Corner alleged that his billing practices violated the terms of his contract back in April.

Last month, Hudson County View confirmed that HUD was reviewing the billing practices of the UCHA as a result of the report.

UCHA Executive Director Virgil Cabello announced at the meeting that after hearing back from HUD, the board would be making a motion to terminate Morejon’s contract and appoint corporation counsel from the city – Scarinci Hollenbeck – for a 90-day interim period.

Morejon’s contract was terminated via a unanimous (8-0) vote and Kara Kacyznski, of Scarinci Hollenbeck, will be representing the board during the interim period.

Additionally, resident Dan Alvarez wanted clarification from the board as to why they felt it necessary to immediately remove Morejon from the agency.

The HUD letter, dated June 30 and addressed to Chairman Marty Martinetti, says in part: “based on our review and the documentation submitted, we found the fees as billed are excessive, the contracts are legally flawed and in violation of HUD requirements; further the procurement of these contracts are highly questionable.”

The federal agency also asks the board to “review and amend the contract to immediately correct the deficiencies in the contract and to immediately comply with HUD requirements …”

Morejon told Hudson County View yesterday that he was unhappy with the decision and said the letter never outright called for him to be removed from the agency.

“At the recommendation of Chairman Marty Martinetti, the board made the decision to terminate my contract. I’m not happy with the decision taken by the board, but I have to respect their decision as a client,” he said.

“It’s my understanding that HUD did not order or recommend that my contract be terminated, but the board decided to move in that direction anyway.”

A copy of the HUD letter to Martinetti can be read here.


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8 COMMENTS

  1. May I trust that this action has nothing to do with Mr. Morejon representing The Wiley Campaign and Scarinci-Hollenbeck representing the Town of WNY?

  2. Good point, Friends in high places! While I would much more often than not lose legal arguments with Mr. Scarinci, a judge’s ultimate ruling, would be the controlling factor.

  3. Morejon doesn’t know how to play the game. He should just insist on an exorbitant, outrageous salary, just like Scarinci gets as counsel to WNY. Half a million $$ annual salary agreed to by Roque and his former board of commissioners. With that kind of salary, no need to overbill.
    What a disgrace! He’s stealing from us, except he’s doing it “legally”. Disgusting.
    How can anyone justify that kind of salary for a town of 50,000 people?
    Roque is a disgusting pig and Scarinci is no better. They’re all garbage. We need to purge this entire town.

  4. So let me get this straight. Morejon would have been the next Hudson County Prosecutor if Brian Stack had agreed to sign off on his appointment. Instead, Esther Suarez, who is a close and personal friend of both Stack and Scarinci, is nominated. Morejon represented the Wiley’s in the voter fraud case in WNY, and Scarinci, who was responsible for putting that lawsuit together (Gina Diaz, one of the plaintiff’s in the case is the wife of Manny Diaz, Scarinci’s boyhood friend). Scarinci is mad because he not only loses but is embarrassed in the Wiley case and now Morejon is out of a contract in the UC Housing Authority, and Scarinci’s law firm is voted the “interim” general counsel. Does sound like payback to you?
    Seems like The Donald has his his hands in everything these days.

  5. Well what I have to say doesn’t. Pertain to union city but Overlook Terrace North was HUD for about a year in a half. They never went by HUD laws and guidelines and now that I’ve called them out on it a few times and made enough complaints to housing authority. The HID sign in the lobby is gone and they are no longer HUD. And they haven’t notified anyone about this matter.

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