Hazleton City Authority Board Member under Attack for Operating Unlicensed Business

March 8, 2012

Ed Shoepe, a member of the Hazleton City Authority board of directors, has come under attack for operating a business without obtaining a Hazleton, PA business license. Although Shoepe has since come into compliance with city business licensing requirements, other city officials feel that his prior incompliance invalidates him from serving on the board.

Councilman Jack Mundie raised this issue at a council meeting last Wednesday by announcing that Shoepe did not have the requisite business license when accepting the seat on the board.

Standard Speaker reports, “Mundie called on Mayor Joseph Yannuzzi for an explanation and cited part of city code that bars appointees from serving on any authority, board, commission or study if they owe a "tax, fee, debt or other obligation" to the city. Mundie said he checked with city code enforcement officials on Feb. 7 and found that Shoepe had not paid for a business license since 2007.”

The mayor defended Shoepe by saying that he has since obtained the business license.

No conclusion was reached on whether or not the city will remove Shoepe from his seat because of a past business license violation.

Business license compliance is mandatory on national, federal and local levels. Operating without proper state, county and city business licenses can cost business owners thousands in fines and penalties as well as needless aggravation and problems. Business owners are urged to take advantage of Business Licenses’ "Business License Compliance Package™" which explains exactly which licenses, permits, and tax registrations are required for your business, ensuring license compliance on every level.

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