The Mayor of Swedesboro purposely sabatoged me! Please help me!

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 The mayor of Swedesboro, Tom Fromm and the borough council,

has drained my pockets and my faith in politics.

I went to the borough in 2023 asking to open up a cannabis dispensary. Since I found out in September of 2024 I was lied to, railroaded and completely set up leading me down a very expensive and emotionally draining path of corruption and nepotism. I have an extremely hard time believing, when someone does everything right, listening to the directions of the borough and borough staff, doing everything 100% right and professional, they can do this to someone and get away with it. I just CAN'T imagine how this can happen. 

 

 

October 2023-December 2023

My new business venture, to open a Cannabis Dispensary. 

 

Since my life revolves around 08085, why not ask the town of Swedesboro. (Ex: I have worked in Swedesboro for 12yrs, I also have a business in Swedesboro since 2015, 6 kids go to school here and we live here.)  

 

The mayor can’t stand the Baus family. They have had bad blood off and on for over 15yrs. My family was skeptical about the mayor from the start and warned me.

 

I have also had some personal issues with the borough regarding my dance studio. In 2015, they tried to make me pay a $10k site plan waiver fee. In 2020 during Covid I had signs like all the other businesses in town letting everyone know we were opened. I received a warning to take my signs down. We owned a building in town for my proposed business idea, so I felt they would be excited about the revenue for Swedesboro and possibly leave the past in the past. Boy was I wrong.

 

My consultants who are already experts in the industry are 3 white men. Email exchanges from my consultants and the mayor were exchanged for about a month or so. A sit-down meeting with the mayor and 2 of my consultants also took place. The mayor saw my business model, my anticipated revenue, the town's 2% anticipated tax revenue and some Q&A were all discussed. 

My consultants reached back out to the mayor. They have established successful communication via meetings and back and forth emails. My consultants informed the mayor that they were NOT owners of the company. They wanted to set up a face-to-face meeting with the mayor again. The mayor wanted ALL involved in this new business to attend. He asked who exactly the owner and my consultants, informed the mayor that I was. “Jennifer Romano-Baus, O, her??? The BAUS family” My consultants questioned the remark when they got back in the car and thought the exchange was very strange. 

 

January 2024 - I reach out to Shaun. Some time had passed, and we were itching for another meeting. I introduced myself and I asked him if the mayor had mentioned my idea about a dispensary to him. He was in discussions with my consultants and then it kind of stopped.  Pleasantly surprised, he said yes they talked about it. They were busy with elections and mayor went on vacation. But he did want to meet again. 

 

 

 Feb 2024 - Our first sit down. Myself, my husband, 3 consultants meet with the mayor and Shaun.  This was the first time I have ever met the mayor. 

 

Per the mayor- in 2021 when NJ passed the cannabis law, nobody expressed interest, so we opposed it. 

 

Per the mayor- “Nobody has ever asked or had any desire to open a Cannabis Dispensary in Swedesboro” you are the first one to ever ask. 

Per the mayor- “I don't know if all of our board members would be open to a dispensary. They are very old school. I am all for it. Swedesboro is suffering financially. The tax revenue would be a huge gain for this town.” 

My 3 consultants asked and answered about 20 minutes of questions. 

 

Questions to me -

Per the mayor, “What are you going to do, decorate the place?”  “The application process has to be completed right. No grey areas " "Your building is an eye sore are you going to fix it up” These questions and comments were all directed to me. 

After this one and only meeting February 2024, the mayor NEVER spoke or communicated with me ever again. 

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March 2024- Ordinance was approved to go to a vote for 2 dispensaries in Swedesboro.  (first red flag) Why 2? That means that one would be right across the street from my building that we already own. It is a tiny portion in town that they are allowing a dispensary. My building was in that zone already. You approve 2.  Why? Because I can’t have the only dispensary in Swedesboro? In a tiny radius, you want me to compete with another dispensary. Why? Because it can’t be just a black woman having the most successful business in your town. That’s like me asking to open up a spa. You approve 2 so another spa can open right across the street even though I was the only person asking to put a spa in town. That’s sabotaging me. 

May 2024- Unanimous vote approving dispensaries in Swedesboro. Who would know so fast this was approved and passed? Me, the person who asked to open a dispensary. The borough employees, because they work for the borough, attend the meetings and approve what businesses come into the town

May 2024- The very next day the ordinance was passed, we were directed by the town council to see the borough clerk for an application and directions for starting the process of getting approved.  My consultant immediately reached out to Jenna, and she directed him to Heather, another borough clerk. He was given the application. He asked if this was everything, we needed to submit a retail cannabis application and was told yes.

May 2024- I hire an attorney, so my application is done in a professional manner. My attorney asked us to reach out to the borough again because the application seemed very costly, detailed and time consuming without a formal approval to move forward. We were told yes; this is the right application, and this is what we need to hand in. So, we all went to work on the application we were given by the borough. 

May -2024

 Sam congratulates me and wishes me good luck on my business venture 

Councilman and on borough board 

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June 2024- 2 weeks after they approved the ordinance, another applicant turned in an application. How on Earth could this be? How could they get an application done so fast? We were mo’s away at best. I was floored. I questioned this numerous times about the expenses and time it was taking me and was told by the borough this was the process and to keep going.  

 

Subcommittee. Mayor, Sam and Shaun - They score the application.

So now they have seen a cannabis application filled out.

So clearly, they know what it entails.

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Who knew about the ordinance change? My team and the borough.  I came to the borough to open a business in town, and they purposely planned a scheme to box me out of my own idea.  Clearly Jenn Valichka (zoning officer and sits on planning and zoning board since 2022) all knew the owners before they added her on the application. From the moment we were handed the wrong forms, I was set up.

3-5 times, I reached out to the council with numerous questions about the process. If he did not know the answer, he would let me know he would reach out to the mayor and get back to me with the correct answer. 

July 2024- The borough immediately is in support of JDS dispensary. 

July 2024- Under 1 acre of land was purchased for over $600,000 

July 2024- JDS withdrew application because one of the owners already had a license to open a dispensary in another town. JJDS took the place of the JDS application. Originally it was 2 white males on the ownership papers. One was removed; 3 new applicants were added. JJDS did NOT pay the $10,000 application fee for the new application they submitted. 

 

Subcommittee- Mayor, Sam and Shaun. They score the application.

 Now they see a 2nd application.

So clearly, they know what it entails.

 

August 2024- I emailed the mayor asking him how the other applicants were able to move so fast, I told him in detail the estimated $50,000 I spent and the time it was taking me to complete my application, and I was weeks away from completing it. HE COMPLETELY IGNORED ME.

  (3 days before the next council meeting) How do you not reply and ask why I was doing all of this work. He saw the right application 2x by now. From JJS and JJDS, why wouldn’t he reach out to me? He KNEW I had the wrong one! 

August 2024- Swedesboro invalidated JDS application, approved JJDS application, took the ordinance from 2 dispensaries to 1 dispensary all in the same meeting. The mayor said NOTHING about my email to him. 

August-September 2024- I was told by the council to continue my application process per the mayor. I brought my completed application into the borough, with thousands of papers, hundreds of copies and 2 checks for $11,500 

The clerk, the same person who gave us the application, told us we did the wrong one. I had a breakdown in front of everyone. I couldn't believe what she was saying to me. 

She excused herself and went to speak with the mayor. She returned in about 10 minutes with ANOTHER application. She told me I needed another $10,000 and I had 48hrs to complete it so the board could review it the following Monday at the council meeting. I was shocked. The application was NOTHING like what I just worked on for the last 4 Mo’s. 

I walked out still so upset and confused. I called a council member as I drove home. I explained what happened. He told me he promised to call me back the same evening after he spoke with the mayor. He told me to “Knock my application out of the park” and get it in. So, we worked on the new application we were given. 

I emailed the clerk to verify her business hours. I never heard back. She told me I had 2 days to complete the application, but I wanted to triple check her hours after all that happened. She IGNORED MY EMAIL.

The day I was supposed to turn my application in, I was greeted with an email from our town solicitor. He stated, I was told you were trying to hand in an application for a dispensary, we have no license for you. You can turn your application in; however, you will lose your $10,000. I immediately called him and let him know the whole story. He had NO IDEA what I was talking about. The mayor had Tim, who I never spoke to in my life, send me a letter that they weren’t taking my application. He tried to intimidate me with the town solicitor. After the mayor ignored me since our one and only meeting, after Jenna ignored my email confirming her hours. He thought after Tim contacted me; I was going to go away.

September- I attended 2 council meetings pleading with the council to make this right. Explaining what happened from start to finish. Some of the members looked shocked and some listened in silence because they already knew what happened. They would not talk to me, comment or acknowledge me. 

September - I hired another attorney. He sent the solicitor a demand letter for a license. They refused. So, we started a lawsuit against Swedesboro and JJDS

September- (Swedesboro Day)

When my brother - in - law asked him face to face why he never emailed me back, or reached out to me he was told by the mayor “I can’t talk to her” Why? He spoke with Kris, Steve and the other applicants. Why couldn’t he speak with me? 

November- Swedesboro tried to get the case dismissed. The judge denied them. He also told JJDS they could proceed in the process however he suggested they move with caution.

 

November. Council finally decides to score my application and they score it. All 3 of them gave me a 37-70.  You need a 70 or better.

 

January 2025- Trial date set for 3/25/25 

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March 10th- I still had to present my planning/ zoning application to the board. The mayor recused himself because I put up billboards in my town on March 1st and he was mad. The zoning officer of Swedesboro, Jenn V, also recused herself. She stated that her sister-in-law was one of the 4 owners of the other dispensary JJDS. 

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