The state Summit to Save Atlantic City concluded the gaming capitol needs more savings and less state aid than Mayor Don Guardian had envisioned. Their recommendations are to cut Atlantic City’s budget by changing property taxes and the way it pays for schools, pensions, police and firefighters. But what’s getting the most attention is the call for an emergency manager with extraordinary supervisory powers to oversee Atlantic City. Governor’s Advisory Commission on Gaming Chairman Jon Hanson told NJTV News Anchor Mary Alice Williams that he is optimistic that Atlantic City can be saved.
Hanson said that he thinks that the call for an emergency manager that would oversee all of the activities of the city, as far as the operation of the city is concerned, is the most significant proposal in the report.
Guardian said Pontiac, Michigan has an emergency manager, but in New Jersey there is a state monitor who serves the same function. Hanson said that that he used Pontiac, Michigan as an example and that the difference between the emergency manager and state monitor is that the emergency manager would be over everyone and would make the decisions when it comes to hiring, firing and budgets. Right now, the state monitor participates in those activities in concert with elected officials, according to Hanson.
Hanson said that he has recommended the responsibilities of the emergency manager, if there is one, would be to hire, fire, handle the budget and be in charge of the city’s financial matters.
When asked what the creation of a new development corporation could do for Atlantic City, Hanson said it would be similar to a developing company in New Brunswick. He said it will work with the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority and the private sector to expedite the development of non-gaming facilities in five different locations within the city. He said that as for the facilities, there are office complexes that are being discussed that currently have tenants that either want to relocate or expand within Atlantic City.
A lot of the recommended reforms involve cutting budgets but also transferring funds. Hanson said that he is talking about outsourcing city services, such as police, fire and health. He said that he looked at the Camden system as far as the police were concerned. He said that fire service could be regional with other communities that are adjacent to Atlantic City or within the county or it could be privatized. He said that the county is the logical place for health.
Regionalizing police service could get more police officers on the streets, which is needed according to Hanson. “We think there would be more police on the street. At the present time, I am informed that 300 policemen are in Atlantic City but only 100 are on the streets,” he said.
Hanson said that he is very optimistic that Atlantic City can be saved. He said that he is a volunteer and there are other causes he could be volunteering for if he did not think that the city could be saved.