Council votes down Atlantic City's $225.8 million spending plan

ATLANTIC CITY — City Council voted down the city’s $225.8 million annual budget Wednesday evening, which the mayor has said would include a 5-cent drop in the local tax rate, on a vote of 5-4.

But Mayor Marty Small Sr. said the state has the final say on the budget under the state takeover law and has already approved it.

“We will continue to move this city forward, despite some do-nothing council persons,” Small said.

The meeting got heated between those on opposing sides on the budget.

“When we are producing a 5.23-cent tax decrease in troubling times ... people who purport to care for the city and you have a budget producing a tax decrease and this is behavior happening?” Small said during the public discussion. “People will remember that during election time. I’m going to remind everybody. Trust me.”

“You want us to vote on something without all the information,” said Councilwoman LaToya Dunston. “It doesn’t make any sense to us.”

Members of council voting no said they had not gotten enough information about the budget before voting, but city Finance Director Toro Aboderin said all members got a detailed budget and other documentation.

But council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz said the opposition vote was a political move in election season. All council seats are up for election this year.

Those voting against the budget were lone Republican Councilman Jesse Kurtz and Democratic council members Dunston, Bruce Weekes, George Tibbitt and MD Hossain Morshed. All but Morshed have lately been critics of Small.

Voting in favor were Council President Aaron “Sporty” Randolph, Vice President Kaleem Shabazz and Council members Stephanie Marshall and Muhammad Zia.

Under the proposed budget, the tax rate would fall from $1.5997 per $100 of assessed property value to $1.5474 per $100.

The owner of a property valued at $125,000 would see their local taxes decrease by about $60.38, according to Small.

Council also voted to pass an ordinance to spend $6 million in American Rescue Plan funds to renovate city parks and a city bridge.

Of that amount, $4 million will go toward the parks and $2 million toward replacing the Venice Lagoon Bridge.