The Borgata question
This morning, Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian and a support team of lawyers are testifying before the Assembly Judiciary Committee in Trenton to try and win support for the city’s recovery plan. The Press of Atlantic City’s Christian Hetrick is providing a rundown on Twitter (@_hetrick) and the deal – which includes agreements on city union contracts, significant cost cuts and no tax increases for five years – seems pretty impressive. The one question hanging over it, as Amy Rosenberg raised in the Philadelphia Inquirer yesterday, is the extent to which the city’s biggest taxpayer, the Borgata casino, is on board. The Borgata said yesterday it had no agreement with the city – but the casino is prepared to discuss a reduction of the amount the city owes it in taxes it overpaid in previous years. The Borgata, as the city’s advisors well know, doesn’t really trust Atlantic City after long-running litigation over its taxes, and it is apparently waiting for the state’s ruling on the recovery plan.
Your right to know
The Press of Atlantic City also has a great profile of John Paff – someone you may never have heard of, but who does a whole lot to help out anyone who cares about holding elected officials to account. He is suing Galloway Township at the moment for a log of police emails. “You need to have the whole picture so that people can decide if the things government is doing are good or bad,” says Paff.
Here’s the rest of what we’re reading:
Popular Restaurant App Expands To New Jersey– After a city-wide launch in Philadelphia this summer, Spotluck has expanded into surrounding suburban neighborhoods of New Jersey. The mobile app has teamed up with Visit South Jersey to introduce its marketing technology to local restaurants and residents. PRWeb
Northern Cape Mainland Real Estate Market Outpaces Islands– Homes are historically much pricier in local shore towns, and that’s still very true today. But new sales figures from the New Jersey Association of Realtors surprised observers by showing that prices on parts of the Cape May County mainland have increased more this year than in those beach towns just over the bridges.
Atlantic City Police and EMS Respond to Overdose at Black Horse Pike McDonalds–"All I know is that somebody OD'd in the bathroom," she said. "The manager of McDonalds told me." Press of Atlantic City
GEHR Union Votes No Confidence In Superintendent; Board Disagrees–The Greater Egg Harbor Regional Education Association took its contentious relationship with superintendent John Keenan to the next level Monday night, announcing a unanimous vote of no confidence in the district's top administrator. The school board members, however, voted to stand by Keenan. Press of Atlantic City