Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill (D) joined U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez (D-8), state Senator Raj Mukherji, and Assemblywoman-elect Katie Brennan (both D-32) for a small business walk at the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza in Downtown Jersey City this afternoon.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
The event, led by Guy and Mukherji, started at PostNet, a printing, copying, and shipping company located at 344 Grove St., where they spoke to owner Rich Mendez about affordability.
” … All these businesses that are leaving because they can’t make it here, we’re hoping to increase the value of units that we can build … up at the county sites. We do have some good news on the horizon and I think we’ll be breaking that news pretty soon, governor,” Guy told Mendez.
“With the governor’s help over the next four years, we’ll be able to hopefully address,” he said before Mendez said “it’s not just me, it’s everybody around here,” he said of struggles with rising rental costs.
“Oh no, we’re doing it just for you,” Sherrill joked.
Mukherji interjected that the best way to tackle the cost of housing is supply, noting that while in Congress, Sherrill sponsored a bill to transform vacant land into malls, office space, and residential housing, noting they will work to do that in New Jersey.
“The more housing we build, the more rents can stabilize and that’s what we’re gonna have to do in urban areas like this especially when the rents are $4,000, $3,000, for a one- or two-bedroom [apartment].”
The group also made stops at the Sky Tobacco Company, Helen’s Pizza, and the Smile Pre-School and Nursery.
Sherry Singh, who owns the pre-school, Kenny Caulfied, who owns the Ashford, and Historic Downtown Special Improvement District Executive Director Rachel Sieg were among those who stayed for the duration of the tour, which lasted about an hour.
Councilman-at-Large Danny Rivera also attended the beginning portion of the tour.
While at Helen’s Pizza, owner Steven Kalcanides told Sherrill about the importance of Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) funding for businesses like his.
“I hope you can keep it as is because they help us a lot, the UEZ promotes downtown businesses now. When we the previous Republican administrations, they cut out all our funding, so I told Rachel ‘don’t vote for a Republican, you’re not gonna be having a job!” he expressed to the governor-elect.
Guy noted that he had talked with Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-19) about getting more UEZ funding to Hudson County.
The state website lists UEZ benefits for businesses as a reduced sales tax, certain tax free purchases, and financial assistance from agencies such as the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA).
During a question and answer session with the media, Sherrill said she had heard many good things about the plaza and was happy to see it in person during the end-of-year holiday season.
” … This is the perfect place to come by and get some gifts for people, go get a drink, get something to eat, and it really just, I think, draws people, it really really has a great feeling on the ground here,” she told HCV.
When asked about UEZ funding and how she would utilize it to help small businesses across the state, she said it was a high priority for her administration.
“So we’re looking at how we can continue to grow businesses across the state, one area that’s been very successful, as you’ve seen here, are UEZs. So making sure that we allocate resources in the correct way to continue to grow businesses it something that’s very important to me,” Sherrill stated.
Finally, when asked if she had any feelings about the Jersey City mayoral race between Ward E Councilman James Solomon and former Gov. Jim McGreevey to succeed one of her primary opponents, incumbent Steven Fulop, she expectedly didn’t take a position.
“Well, we saw so many people coming out and getting engaged in this election, and we know we have some great candidates here, I’m really looking forward to working with the next mayor of Jersey City.”
Sherrill said she was also not getting involved in the Hoboken mayoral race that pits 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo against Councilwoman-at-Large Emily Jabbour. Both non-partisan runoff elections are on December 2nd.
