Atlantic City’s mayor advises Gov. Christie not to leave Atlantic City out of the state’s plans for the resort; Christie sends staffers to Atlantic City Tuesday to ease mayor's concerns regarding the promised city-state partnership.
As anticipated, Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford (D) held a rescheduled press conference at City Hall Thursday morning, Dec. 30, right before the New Year's holiday weekend, in order to voice his objections and concerns regarding the state’s plans for the city’s proposed “Tourism District.”
According to Langford, he and members of Atlantic City City Council have been discussing the proposed “Tourism District” and have “some very strong opinions on what should and what shouldn’t, [and] what must and what cannot take place here in the city of Atlantic City.”
Langford opened the press conference by saying he wanted to let the media and the residents of the resort know about the issues that he and members of City Council have problems with in terms of the state’s plan to take over aspects of Atlantic City, the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority’s (CRDA) role in the proposed district, and initiatives that he and other Atlantic City officials hope to put into action as a part of any future measures to transform a section of Atlantic City into a “Tourism District,” as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) proposed in July in front of Boardwalk Hall.
Langford, who at the end of November told Atlantic City Weekly that communication between his office and Christie’s was nearly non-existent, and that he felt the governor hadn’t kept his promise to keep the city involved in any future plans regarding Atlantic City, insists that the state has not held up its part of the bargain in incorporating the city in discussions for Christie’s proposed district.
While fielding questions from the media gathered for the press conference, Langford noted that he had spoken to Christie’s chief of staff the night prior — Wednesday, Dec. 29 — via a phone call that the mayor took at his home.
The two had a “very cordial conversation,” according to Langford. “It was an honest conversation. I’m optimistic.”
Key staff members from the governor’s office, including Christie’s chief of staff, came to Atlantic City this past Tuesday, Jan. 4, in response to Langford’s press conference remarks.Gov. Christie reportedly sent the staffers to the resort to calm the mayor’s fears regarding Atlantic City being shut out of the state’s plans for the resort.
(Above: Gov. Christie speaks in front of Boardwalk Hall in July 2010. Photo by Don Kravitz)
Christie also made statements on Tuesday to the effect that he is optimistic that negotiations this week between Democrats and Republicans in the state will alleviate some of the mayor’s concerns regarding the geographic boundaries, the policing of, and the part CRDA will play in the proposed “Tourism District.”
Meanwhile, Atlantic City City Council was expected to vote Wednesday afternoon (Jan. 5) on a measure to voice their own opposition to the state’s plans for the “Tourism District” thus far, in a similar fashion to what the mayor did last Thursday — getting their voices of opposition on record.
“Which happens to mirror mine,” adds Langford.
“It’s not City Council supporting the mayor’s opposition,” says the mayor. “They want to go on record as I did voicing their opposition. So, they’re not supporting my opposition, they happen to have the same opposition.”
Christie’s administration is reportedly hoping to negotiate on certain issues with the city by Thursday, Jan. 6, so that the state Assembly’s version of the bill can be amended in time for a full vote in the Assembly on Monday, Jan. 10.
Reached by phone at his office Wednesday morning, the day after the governor’s staffers paid him a visit, Langford says he has always remained and still is optimistic, but that he knows he has to remain “vigilant.” Asked if he feels any different about the concerns he raised during last week’s press conference, Langford offers an emphatic: “No.”
Asked if he feels the state-city partnership will be stronger following Tuesday’s meetings with Christie’s staffers, Langford says he’s optimistic, but that it “remains to be seen.”
“You know, [the governor’s staffers] came down here [Tuesday] to find out what my opposition was and now they know. And so really there’s no need for any further discussion. The ball’s in their court and they need to do what they have to do to assuage my concerns.”
At the press conference last Thursday, Langford expressed those concerns, again stressing the need for the state to consider the safety and well-being of the city’s residents and not just a quarantined district for tourists.
“[A]ll of this stuff that has been sensationalized in the media — the shootings, the violent crimes, all of that stuff — over the course of the last six months particularly, has happened in a 1.8 square-mile area,” the mayor told Atlantic City Weekly in late November. “Not on the Boardwalk. So I get offended when the governor and others advocate that we need an increased police presence on the Boardwalk to create the ‘perception’ that the city is safe, because the reality is that the Boardwalk is safe.
"But even to address just the ‘perception’ [of the city’s tourists] they advocate more resources," says langford. "What about the neighborhoods where it’s not a perception, it’s the reality? The shootings that take place in the city don’t take place on the Boardwalk. So who gives a damn about the residents? You see? It’s offensive. And, again, I’m in agreement with the governor; let’s assign more resources on the Boardwalk, but goddammit at the same time, let’s talk about the neighborhoods.”
The majority of Atlantic City residents are black, noted the mayor at the press conference, and most of the tourists happen to be white, he said. Langford essentially asked the question: Why does the Boardwalk need more police presence when the majority of the crime in the city takes place in other parts of the resort's neighborhoods?
Let’s get more police in the neighborhoods, Mr. Governor, is what Langford was basically saying.
At the Dec. 30 press conference, which has led to some scattered responses from state legislators regarding mainly the timing of the mayor’s remarks, Langford announced several city-created objectives, which could dovetail with the state plan for the city.
That’s as long as the two entities work together and communicate better moving forward, according to the mayor.
In July 2010, Christie came to Atlantic City and proposed a state takeover of a vague “tourism and entertainment district” in Atlantic City and gave the city, as well as state lawmakers, a year to make significant changes to the resort, which has seen a hefty drop of visitors and casino players due to, in part, the sluggish economy and increasing new competition popping up in neighboring and nearby states. Since July Langford has, in his own words, “been very magnanimous,” adding that he agrees with the governor on many of the issues on the table.
However, the mayor added, since July, the “bills and legislation affecting Atlantic City and the creation of a ‘Tourism District,’ have been fast tracked.” Conversely, says the mayor, the city has been “left out the loop.”
Along with offering several city initiatives, Langford told the media gathered that: “As mayor of Atlantic City, I will not allow any person or entity to come into this town and ride roughshod over us in an attempt to force their agenda down our throat. A [state-city] partnership [which Christie promised in July] is one thing — a good thing — but a partnership requires input; especially from those of us who live and pay taxes [in Atlantic City].”
Mayor Langford’s proposed measures include creating “geographical boundaries” of the proposed tourism district — which could happen this week, reportedly, as lawmakers in the State Assembly want to pass a bill next week creating the “Tourism District” and may be willing to create said boundaries beforehand — as well as maintaining the city’s planning and zoning function instead of ceding it the state; a new pilot program, “in lieu of the current property tax structure,” that would give special property tax consideration to the city’s casinos to save “millions of dollars in legal fees incurred as a result of tax appeals” and save casinos “15 percent of their annual tax bill”; the creation of a $1 casino/hotel room tax; transferring of police units; a municipal wage tax; and the policing of the proposed “District.”
The mayor also expressed his hope that the city could regain control of Boardwalk Hall in order to make it less expensive to hold events there and to make the entity “more profitable.”
With regard to the policing of the proposed “Tourism District,” Langford offered: “Any laid off Atlantic City Police Officer should be the first hired to police the ‘Tourism District.’”
During the 20-minute press conference (see at top right or click here), the mayor addressed all of these ideas — and more — as a way, just before the new year, to help invigorate the state-city partnership so that the city is not left in the dark with regard to the state’s plans, and so that the residents of Atlantic City are not neglected in those plans.
The mayor added that, moving forward, if anything related to Christie’s proposed state takeover plans are “fast tracked” without members of the municipal government involved, able to give input or simply be a part of the discussions, that the legality of such occurrences would be questioned and taken to court if necessary.
“We are not sure if in fact some of things the state is proposing to do are legal,” Langford told a reporter. “Now whether it’s legal or not, if it makes sense to us, we’re prepared to embrace it. But conversely, if it doesn’t make sense to us and we feel that it’s illegal, we’re going to challenge it. And we’re looking to a federal jurisdiction to challenge the Constitutionality of some of what the state may be proposing to do.”
Assemblyman Vince Polistina (R-Atlantic), along with members of Atlantic City’s City Council were present at the press conference. The mayor acknowledged Polistina and praised him for his work in the region.
After the press conference, Polistina spoke to the media regarding the process that has transpired since July 2010 with regard to the governor’s promise of a partnership with the city of Atlantic City. He seemed to be in agreement with Langford on at least one issue.
“The process and how it was dealt with, clearly, from my standpoint, was not appropriate,” Polistina told reporters. “When you’re making a law, especially a law like this that’s going to have a significant impact on hundreds of thousands of people, you do your due diligence and you make sure you bring everybody into the group, get their input, get some discussion, get some debate, and ultimately prepare something that everybody has built some consensus around. And that’s what they failed to do with this.”
Furthermore, New Jersey Democratic state Senator and former Atlantic City mayor Jim Whelan was quoted in the local daily newspaper on Wednesday as saying that the process since July 2010 has been far from perfect.
Time will tell what happens over the next week or so with regard to the “Tourism District.”
"There are those that don’t believe the Atlantic City fathers are capable of handling this business. And again, that speaks to a level of arrogance and it also speaks to an underlying air of racism — point blank, as I’ve pointed out."
Although the Tourism District Master Plan is due Feb. 1, it won't be presented to the public on that date. However, the CRDA will present the master plan to the public on Monday, March 26, at noon.
The New York Times, CNN and other major news sources are reporting Tuesday morning, Oct. 4, that New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) will not seek the Republican nomination for the 2012 U.S, Presidential election.
The funds will be used to acquire real estate that CRDA feels is strategically important to the redevelopment of Downtown Atlantic City.
“This is about jobs, it’s about getting people back to work, it’s about bringing this city back into where it feels, once again, like the preeminent entertainment resort on the East Coast."
In preparation for the shore’s busiest season, the region’s business leaders rose bright and early on Wednesday morning, May 11, to attend the third annual “Jersey Shorecast,” an event — sponsored by the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming Hospitality & Tourism at The Richard Stockton College — which, attempts to prognosticate the financial success of Atlantic City’s summer season.
Plus the latest on the map of the Atlantic City Tourism District, DrewToonz takes on Snooki and the Situation (and the Jersey Shore), and the Album of the Week: Emmylou Harris' 'Hard Bargain'
On a sizzling hot Boardwalk Wednesday Governor Chris Christie did his best to say that the state was looking to help Atlantic City, not take over. “I’m here to extend the hand of partnership to the city,” Christie said. "We are entering into this public private partnership because we have to remake ourselves. We want to make Atlantic City a place where families and businesses want to be and want to come back to again and again.”
The mayor spoke about several city-created objectives, which could dovetail with the state plan for the city, as long as the two entities work with each other and communicate better moving forward.
The Atlantic City area had a year that had people looking so far forward, it was almost easy to forget what was actually happening right now. Mired in recession and reeling from new competition, Atlantic City and southern New Jersey seemed to just want to hunker down and wait for better times....
"[B]ills and legislation affecting Atlantic City and the creation of a 'Tourism District' have been fast tracked, and despite promises and assurances to the contrary...."
"I get offended when the governor and others advocate that we need an increased police presence on the Boardwalk to create the ‘perception’ that the city is safe, because the reality is that the Boardwalk is safe. But even to address just the ‘perception’ [of the city’s tourists] they advocate more resources. What about the neighborhoods?"
In a few words, those with the power and ability need to work extremely hard and very quickly on these 11 items for the good of the entire region.
Gov. Chris Christie Wednesday signed legislation to allow for two “Boutique” casinos to be built in Atlantic City. The legislation allows for two casino projects to be built with a minimum of 200 hotel rooms, lower than the 500 now required. Christie says he signed the bill as part of ongoing efforts to spur Atlantic City’s economy and create jobs. “This bill will provide a boost to the engines of Atlantic City and the regional economy, bringing badly needed jobs to the area and signaling the re-emergence of world-class entertainment,” said Christie is a press release. “While this is an important step in meeting our commitment to revitalize Atlantic City as a premier destination resort, we have more work to do in laying the foundation for growth in this critical area of our economy.” Several other measures to help the city are scheduled to be voted on by the state Assembly in coming days including the creation of a state-run tourism district in the city (to be run by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority), allowing online gaming, limited to state residents, and streamlining casino regulations and oversight. The bill allowing for smaller casinos, S-1866, “revises State law to authorize the Casino Control Commission to issue...
The bills create a CRDA run tourism district encompassing the city's casinos.
As in previous years, the Metropolitan Business & Citizens Association (MBCA) Winter luncheon kickoff event at Resorts in Atlantic City featured a keynote address — an unofficial state of the city address — by Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford.
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1. OverbeeRich34 said... on Jan 5, 2011 at 02:44PM
“You tell em Renny”