PETERSBURG — Lifelong Upper Township resident Spencer Belz told Township Committee on Nov. 10 that he is pleased members are considering allowing cannabis sales.
Township Committee voted unanimously Oct. 27 as part of the consent agenda to appoint Florio, Perrucci, Steinhardt, Cappelli and Tipton LLC as special legal counsel to amend the township’s cannabis ordinance, which prohibits sales.
Following discussion Oct. 14, Deputy Mayor Victor Nappen made a motion, seconded by Committeeman Tyler Casaccio, to authorize legal counsel to review the township’s cannabis ordinance and possible revenue opportunities. During the roll call vote, all five members voted in the affirmative
Mayor Curtis Corson said Oct. 27 that the township could use the revenue to offset rising costs.
“I would like to applaud you guys … for understanding and recognizing the value and the benefits of incorporating cannabis businesses, regulated cannabis businesses, into Upper Township,” Belz said.
He said he has been working in the industry for more than seven years, starting in 2018 at Compassionate Care Foundation “when there were only four dispensaries throughout the entire state.”
Belz said he had addressed Township Committee in summer 2021 when every municipality in the state had to decide to allow or prohibit sales as Gov. Phil Murphy was creating rules for a personal use marketplace.
“I vocalized my disagreement for voting no, which I understand some of the concerns at that point in time, and I’m very, very grateful that a lot of your concerns have been proven over the last three and a half plus years of legal sales to not be legitimate concerns,” Belz said.
He said the concerns included a rise in crime and violence and the need for additional police enforcement.
“I appreciate that you guys are starting to see a lot of the value and a lot of the benefit of incorporating this into our town. Not only does this benefit us by increasing tax revenue, creating jobs, but bringing ancillary businesses benefits restaurants and gas stations also helps to diversify what we’re doing here in Upper Township,” Belz said.
He said the township is ideally located to cater to shore-bound customers.
“By capturing a lot of that business that comes down Route 50 and Tuckahoe Road and Roosevelt Boulevard as well as being right off of multiple parkway exits here, that’s a massive opportunity for Upper Township,” he said.
The township stands to collect a 2 percent tax on all retail sales and 3 percent on cultivation and manufacturing.
“Tax revenue would further fund our municipality, most importantly our schools, which unfortunately have gone through a lot of funding cuts over the past years,” Belz said. “So I just wanted to share my appreciation for you guys for doing so.”
Belz said tax revenue from the cultivators and manufacturers could be pretty substantial, claiming 90 percent of the community would not know it even exists.
By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff