GOP CLUBHOUSE OWNED BY DEVELOPER, REPUBLICAN DONOR!
Deterioration of Ridge Road evident under incumbents Fitzhenry and Sheedy due to massive overdevelopment and higher property taxes.
NORTH ARLINGTON – The storefront space occupied by North Arlington Republicans located at 165 Ridge Road is owned by a political contributor to the campaign of Brian Fitzhenry and Allison Sheedy.
The company, DS Properties is located in Secaucus and contributed $1,000 on September 24th to the Fitzhenry/Sheedy campaign. 
In 2021 an application was presented before the North Arlington Planning Board represented by attorney Gary Bennett and Guzzo & Guzzo as the architect calling for 24-bedroom units and corresponding parking spaces.
Under public comment, one resident described the proposal as “too tall and too big.
The incumbents find themselves locked in a tight battle for reelection with Democrats John Balwierczak and John Yampaglia, who are running primarily on the issue of massive overdevelopment of Ridge Road, where hundreds of apartments have been constructed and approved by the all-Republican Mayor and Council.
Another contribution of $1,000 was also made in October of 2023 to the reelection campaign of Republicans Mario Karcic and Donna Bocchino according to filings with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission more commonly known as ELEC, despite the fact the two council members ran unopposed.
It was in that campaign the GOP paid the double-dipping, dual job holding council member Allison Sheedy $500 to work on election day when there was no election at all at the local level. 
The Republicans currently control all levers of local government and no Democrat has served on the Mayor & Council since 2019.
No Democrat has been elected since 2016 when attorney Mark Yampaglia and Jean Williams defeated Karcic and his running-mate, Richard Hughes.
The reports here were pulled from North Arlington’s tax records as well as from New Jersey ELEC.
It is unclear just how long the Republicans have occupied this space, and how much rent they pay for this prominent location just across from Queen of Peace Church on Ridge Road.
Sources say they could not locate any expenditures for rental payments to the owner, or if it was an in-kind contribution to the local Republican organization.
Sources believe the certificate of occupancy for the storefront exists with the local Republican club which has used the space for meetings over the last several years.
A Certificate of Occupancy (CO) in New Jersey is required for all residential and commercial properties before they can be used.
It verifies that the property meets the minimum standards for occupancy, including zoning laws, construction codes, and building safety standards.
To obtain a CO, you can:
Submit an application to the local municipality’s Office of Housing Inspections. The application fee can range from $100 to $225.
The office will schedule an inspection.
If the inspection passes, the municipality will issue the CO.
The time it takes to receive a CO varies by municipality, but it’s usually within one to two business weeks.
A CO is required for a number of situations, including:
When a tenant moves into a rental property
When changing the use of a building from a lower to a higher classification
When completing construction work on a building.
Sources say a Republican club get together is scheduled to take place at this location this week. 
Democrats will be meeting Wednesday at the Arlington Diner beginning at 7 pm and light refreshments will be served.
For details of the Democratic gathering, contact the campaign at (201) 655-8497.