Accountants, Tax Credits, Atlantic County Women – Wednesday’s Roundup

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Accountants
The Press of Atlantic City’s Christian Hetrick wrote a great muck-raking read yesterday, revealing just how much the state has paid an accounting firm (Ernst & Young) for helping it analyse Atlantic City’s finances. E&Y even got a raise last year! Through September, the accountants billed the state $1.56 million for “continued analysis of Atlantic City’s finances and cash flow,” a spokeswoman for New Jersey’s Department of Community Affairs (which is responsible for both the state takeover and the decision to hire E&Y) told Hetrick. What’s still not clear? What exactly the accountants are doing.

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Water, Possibly Higher Gas Bills – Tuesday’s Roundup

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Water
It’s been more than seven years since a state-appointed panel of scientists and academics told New Jersey’s Department for Environmental Protection to set limits on various toxic contaminants in its drinking water, but the DEP has failed to act in spite of recent publicity over lead-tainted drinking water in NJ schools and hospitals. Legislators on Monday rapped the DEP on the wrists for its snail-like response, but stopped short of passing a bill that would have required the department to set the standards within 60 days. NJ Spotlight has the full story. Possibly Higher Gas Bills
South Jersey Gas customers (about 70 percent of Atlantic County homes, apparently) could see their bill rise by $20 a month, according to the company’s latest rate-hike request filed with New Jersey’s regulator. South Jersey Gas says it needs the money to pay it back for improvement work its done to local infrastructure, as well as to meet growing demand (story here via The Press of Atlantic City).

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Conventions Funding, Deep-Fried Muskrat – Monday’s Roundup

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*Winter Weather Advisory in effect through noon. The forecast is for some lingering snow showers later today, but tomorrow will be warmer and brighter.*

Conventions Funding
The group that runs Atlantic City’s convention center will also have to tighten its belt this year amid the city-wide financial crisis – or at least, a little. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA), which funds the group known as Meet AC, is cutting the group’s budget to $7 million this year. That’s a reduction of 12.5 percent or $1 million, which maybe doesn’t seem like such a raw deal given the city’s mega debt load and compared to the aggressive cuts the state apparently wants the police and fire departments to make. The problem is, as The Press of Atlantic City reports here, bringing new visitors into Atlantic City is crucial to boosting city revenue and helping pay down that crippling debt.

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Property Taxes, New Drug-Detox Clinic – Friday’s Roundup

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Property Taxes
NJSpotlight has another fantastic interactive map on their site today that compares property tax bills across the state. The map is fascinating since it compares the average property tax bill by municipality, not the actual tax rate. By average tax bill, Atlantic City looks pretty reasonable compared with Linwood, Northfield, Longport and Margate. But as we all know around here, Atlantic City’s tax rate is through the roof ($3.859 per $100 of taxable assessed value, according to this Department of Community Affairs (DCA) data from 2016). Perhaps more surprisingly, though, if you look at the raw data here on the DCA site, Mullica Township and Egg Harbor City’s tax rates are even higher (at $4.533 and $4.41).

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Takeover Talk, Formica Bread – Thursday’s Roundup

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Takeover Talk
We’re on day 77 of the state takeover of Atlantic City and there has been no announcement of any plan the state has for its newest ward. So, understandably, the state says it is annoyed that there are rumors circulating. But, while there’s no official plan, we do know that associates of Gov Christie’s takeover czar Jeffrey Chiesa (who hasn’t been officially seen in town since November) have been talking to police and fire representatives about job cuts. We also know – thanks to Christian Hetrick’s Press of Atlantic City reporting – that Senator Jim Whalen and Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo (who sponsored the takeover bill last year) are concerned about those cuts leaving Atlantic City with a potentially dangerous reduction in firefighters. John Wisniewski, governor candidate and chair of the New Jersey Fire Commission, is also concerned by the reports.

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Pipeline Protest, Prieto Plan, Mac and Cheese – Wednesday’s Roundup

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Pinelands Protest
Local residents and representatives from the Pinelands Preservation Alliance and environmental groups packed yesterday’s hearing on a proposed gas pipeline that would run through the protected forest area. The turnout was so impressive that about 100 people were left standing outside the hearing, in the bitter cold and rain yesterday. What’s going on? NJ Spotlight has the best in-depth story from the day, which gives a lot of the political history to the proposal too. There are parallels with the Atlantic City takeover, since it boils down to a state organization (in this case, the Pinelands Commission with some commissioners directly appointed by the governor) in a battle with local representatives.

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Nor’Easter, State Takeover Perspective From The Governor’s Race – Monday’s Roundup

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Nor’Easter
It’s windy and this afternoon’s high tide (around 4.20pm) will probably bring the worst of the storm-related flooding, according to top local weather man Dan Skeldon.  Thousands are already without power, but the only damage reported so far is to a traffic light pole in Atlantic City. Still, ferry departures from Cape May have been cancelled as a precaution and – for what it’s worth – Atlantic City Electric is promising to work through the storm to keep the power on wherever possible. State Takeover Perspective From The Governor’s Race
It will be interesting to see how much play the state’s takeover of Atlantic City gets as the governor’s race gets underway. Democrat Assemblyman and governor candidate John Wisniewski slammed the takeover in comments at a town hall meeting in Egg Harbor City this weekend, the Press of Atlantic City reported.

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Casino Money, Pinelands, Howler – Friday’s Roundup

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Casino Money
In case you haven’t already read it, check out Christian Hetrick’s Press of Atlantic City piece on how everyone’s favorite Casino Reinvestment Development Authority has spent more than $1 billion in casino taxes and fees, sending a lot of that money back to the casinos themselves in recent years. What’s also amazing is that, while CRDA was established in 1984, it was never once audited* – until last year, as Route 40 first reported. (*A spokeswoman for CRDA said the authority’s accountants annually audit its financial statements and the audit that began last year was the first by the state’s auditor.)

Pinelands
NJ Spotlight reports that a gas pipeline that would run through South Jersey’s Pinelands is once again on hold, after the Pinelands Preservation Alliance asked a state appeals court to block the Pinelands Commission from ruling on whether the pipeline complies with state policy and administrative rules. The Pinelands Commission is holding a Special Meeting via conference call on Monday to discuss their next steps in the court battle. The pipeline project is being pushed – and funded – by a consortium including South Jersey Industries, which says it will bring cheaper gas to our area.

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Stockton Aviation Project, “Awful People”, New Rowan Business Building – Thursday’s Roundup

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Stockton Aviation Project
The Stockton Aviation Research and Technology Park, being built in Egg Harbor Township on Federal Aviation Administration land just outside the Atlantic City Airport, is proceeding – but the engineering consultants AECOM have asked Atlantic County to cough up more money. This is actually the second time they have asked for an increase in funding for work they say was not included in the original contract. The cost of their agreement is now up 9 percent and actual construction work has not yet started. Route 40 has the story. “Awful People”
Governor Chris Christie, presumably tired after a few days of good behavior on his (politically calculated?) solo crusade to save the state from the drug abuse crisis, had a relapse last night and returned to a favorite topic – how terrible Eagles fans are.

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