The Story of One DWI Death; and  the light it sheds on Carteret’s partnership with liquor establishments

The car  collision on the West Carteret Bridge, along Roosevelt Avenue, in January  that killed a young Woodbridge woman was caused by a drunk driver who was speeding and hit the woman’s car head on. The 34-year-old woman, Cristina Lorena Flores, was pronounced dead at the scene. https://www.nj.gov/oag/abc/downloads/SR%202021-16-Carteret-Revenue-Sharing.pdf

If you want to help Ms. Flores’ family, please see the Go Fund Me Page established on her behalf https://www.gofundme.com/f/For-Our-Beloved-Cristina%20

While we mourn the death of this young woman and send condolences to her family, we are concerned that this incident is a sign of dangers to come thanks to a special arrangement  that allows the municipality  to get a share of liquor sales. We believe this revenue sharing arrangement creates conflicts of interest for the that could impact neighborhood safety and our quality of life.  

We uncovered a special ruling by the state Division of Alcohol Control in  November 2021, that granted the borough and its appointed development partner, the Carteret Business Partnership (CBT) the special privilege of colleting up to 20 percent of the revenue from the sales of liquor in designated redevelopment areas, including the Waterfront zone and the West Carteret Redevelopment Zone. (BTW – How much do you know about the CBT, its members, and what it does? We are looking into the CBT and will share some information for you shortly.)

As far as we know, the unusual arrangement that permits a municipality and a development agency to profit from the sales of alcohol does not exist anywhere else in the state. Why was this special arrangement never announced to the public? Why has there been no annual reports on the revenue that liquor sales are  generating?  Why have there been  no public discussions about how this special arrangement will impact the neighborhoods closest to the waterfront — along Roosevelt and Carteret avenues? What impact does the alcohol revenue sharing have on local redevelopment decisions? Most importantly, what does this mean to our safety and our quality of life?

To read more about the impact of the unusual agreement to allow Carteret to take a share of alcohol sales please go to our home page: https://savecarteretave.com/

https://www.tapinto.net/towns/woodbridge-slash-carteret/sections/police-and-fire/articles/carteret-man-charged-in-avenel-woman-s-auto-death

Information about the revenue that the Borough of Carteret and the Carteret Business Partnership receive from the sale of liquor in the redevelopment zones and at the performing arts center has not been shared with the public. Usually, Mayor Reiman is quick to send out a press release or post a message on the town website whenever the borough receives money from the state or federal government. On the liquor revenue sharing plan, however,  which has been in place for 4 years,  he has been silent. Why?  Doesn’t he want you to know about this highly questionable way the borough is getting money?

The state Division of Alcohol Control agonized over the decision to make the borough a partner in liquor sales;  highlighting how unusual an arrangement it is for a governing body to be the landlord for concessions that sell liquor and get a percentage of the proceeds. The board finally concluded that Carteret is authorized to receive up to 20 percent of alcoholic beverage revenues from concessions at its performing arts center, marina and ferry

You can read the state’s decision here https://www.nj.gov/oag/abc/downloads/SR%202021-16-Carteret-Revenue-Sharing.pdf

The fact that the borough is getting a piece of alcohol sales leads to a significant  conflict of interest that could negatively impact our neighborhood.

How many more liquor selling venues will the town approve in the redevelopment zones? The more liquor establishments that the town permits to open, the more money the CBT gets. So, what happens to our neighborhood’s quality of life and our safety? When loud and raucous drinkers at local bars are making noise late at night and you call to complain, are the police going to step in and stop the partying – or will the town hold them back because the town officials do not want  to upset the bar owners and cut into the town’s revenue?

 When people who have been drinking at a bar (that is giving 20 percent of its revenue to the town ) get behind the wheel of their cars to go home, will the police be there to stop them before they injure or kill someone? Will the owners of the bars and restaurants – who are essentially partners with the town – pressure the town for leniency if the police crackdown on unruly behavior at their establishments? And what will the town officials say?  

We hope the integrity of the police will prevail. But as we know, one man runs Carteret and what he says goes. Is he willing to sacrifice revenue from liquor to protect the quality of life of our neighborhoods? 

We encourage you to express your opinions about the unusual liquor revenue sharing system that has emerged in our town. Do you like it? Do you think it should be stopped? Are you concerned about safety and quality of life issues/ Let us know; let the mayor and council know.