
New Jersey Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver
ATLANTIC CITY — The day after a clandestine summit between state and city officials, some in attendance said progress had been made toward strengthening the professional relationships involved in the complex political arrangement known as the state takeover, while others felt there was still work to be done.
All nine members of City Council and the mayor participated in a virtual meeting Wednesday afternoon with Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver and other high-ranking members of the state Department of Community Affairs to find common ground as the various entities prepare for the inevitable extension of the state’s control of Atlantic City.
The meeting — which was originally supposed to take place in November — was initiated by Oliver, who also serves as commissioner of the DCA, the state agency with direct oversight of Atlantic City as a result of the 2016 Municipal Stabilization and Recovery Act. The takeover is slated to end in 2021, but Oliver and other state lawmakers have indicated a desire to extend Trenton’s oversight of the financially distressed seaside resort.
Although the meeting was not open to the public, the absence of action or discussion of official city business meant the forum did not run afoul of the state’s Open Public Meetings Act, according to multiple legal sources.
Prior to Wednesday’s meeting, several members of the city’s governing body expressed a need to improve communication and transparency, especially if the state takeover was going to continue beyond its scheduled five-year run.
ATLANTIC CITY — The state’s continued oversight and the improved management of the city’s da…
Concerns over what some council members perceived to be deliberate attempts to withhold information or intentional exclusion have progressed from occasional grumblings to frequent complaints.
Since the meeting was intended to hash out internal differences, those who spoke afterward were reluctant to go into specifics about what was discussed. But the general consensus was that those who felt aggrieved were afforded the chance to vocalize their concerns.
Oliver was not immediately available to comment on the meeting.
Whether the meeting actually resolved any lingering issues among council, the mayoral administration and the state remains to be seen, according to a handful of elected officials who participated Wednesday.
“I’m optimistic, but I don’t even know, honestly,” said Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy II, adding Wednesday’s summit would not be a singular event.
ATLANTIC CITY — With the likelihood of the state’s oversight continuing past the initial fiv…
“I think it’s definitely a good thing for state officials, in particular the lieutenant governor, to make this type of opportunity to have conversations,” said 6th Ward Councilman Jesse Kurtz, adding he is still not convinced there is a plan to address the shortcomings of the takeover law that have contributed to the perceived lack of communication. “But I’m treating this as a first opportunity to try and move the ball forward to address these issues of transparency and really the proper role of state government in local affairs.”
First Ward Councilman Aaron Randolph said the meeting was productive. He said the overall message that communication between the state and city has to improve was clearly conveyed.
“I think we all just need to be on the same page,” Randolph said, noting he believed the meeting was a step toward accomplishing that goal.
Kurtz said one of the issues of the takeover legislation is the state’s ability to not have to explain or justify certain actions, such as vetoing approved council items or unilaterally changing policy.
“If the goal of MSRA is to strengthen local government capacity, this absence of formally notifying the governing body goes against that. It actually reduces the functioning capacity of local government and our ability to help our residents here,” he said.
Also present in the Zoom meeting Wednesday were DCA Deputy Commissioner Rob Long, DCA Assistant Commissioner Kimberly Holmes, Atlantic City Business Administrator Anthony Swan and Atlantic City Initiatives Project Office Executive Director Mike Epps.
Borgata Hotel and Casino

$62,817.51
Won Nov. 22 on TRIPLE PLAY POKER PRIMARY
$50,798.55
Won Nov. 14 on Mighty Cash
$85,616.87
Won Nov. 13 on LIGHTNING CASH - HIGH STAKES
$64,499.41
Won Nov. 8 on Shark Week Star Magic
Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino

$54,000
Won Nov. 1 on TRP DBL DIA
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

$100,000
Won Nov. 23 on Double Joker Poker
$50,000
Won Nov. 14 on Game King 8.3
$57,049.87
Won Nov. 13 on High Stakes Lightning Link
$69,843.72
Won Now. 10 on Lock it Link
$56,000
Won Nov. 6 on Five Star AVP Ultimate X
Harrah's Resort Atlantic City

Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City will be the second Atlantic City casino to bring back live poker following the industrywide shutdown earlier this year.
$100,000
Won Nov. 16 on Game King Multi Poker
$63,304.89
Won Now. 3 on JACKPOT FORGE GOLDEN SKULLS
$53,052.66
Won Nov. 1 on Buffalo Delux
Ocean Resort Casino

$63,434.52
Won Nov. 7 on Lighting Cash
Resorts Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City

$100,000
Won Nov. 14 on Double Double Bonus Poker
Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City

$62,481.54
Won Nov. 27 on Golden Wins Progressive Link
Online betting

$64,580
Won Nov. 20 on Fox Trot on WWW.NJ.PARTYCASINO.COM
$59,150
Won Nov. 20 on Wild Worlds on GOLDENNUGGETCASINO.COM
$100,030
Won Nov. 17 on Jin Ji Bao Xi Endless Treasures on GOLDENNUGGETCASINO.COM
$53,676.06
Won Nov. 17 on Divine Fortune on WWW.HARDROCKCASINO.COM
$121,254
Won Nov. 16 on Extra Chili on PLAYSUGARHOUSE.COM
$50,000
Won Nov. 15 on Blackjack on PLAYSUGARHOUSE.COM
$81,440
Won Nov. 15 on Blood Suckers on www.draftkings.com
$80,000
Won Nov. 14 on Game King Video Poker on BORGATACASINO.COM
$79,900
Won Nov. 14 on Game King Jacks or Better Poker on BETAMERICA.COM
$75,420
Won Nov. 14 on 88 Fortunes on WWW.HARDROCKCASINO.COM
$50,293.75
Won Nov. 13 on Golden Nugget on GOLDENNUGGETCASINO.COM
$50,612.50
Won Nov. 13 on Grand Royal on PLAYSUGARHOUSE.COM
$109,617.27
Won Nov. 12 on Divine Fortune Jackpot on BORGATACASINO.COM
$50,000
Won Nov. 11 on Blackjack on PLAYSUGARHOUSE.COM
$110,365
Won Now. 11 on 88 Fortunes on GOLDENNUGGETCASINO.COM
$125,012.50
Won Nov. 11 on Dancing Drums on PLAYSUGARHOUSE.COM
$148,005.16
Won Nov. 9 on Divine Fortune on WWW.HARDROCKCASINO.COM
$81,000
Won Nov. 8 on 88 Fortunes on WWW.MOHEGANSUNCASINO.COM
$80,300
Won Nov. 6 on Golden Nugget on GOLDENNUGGETCASINO.COM
$144,650
Won Nov. 5 on Mercy of the Gods on GOLDENNUGGETCASINO.COM
$160,000
Won Nov. 2 on Game King Double Double Bonus Poker on BORGATACASINO.COM
$62,362.17
Won Nov. 2 on Divine Fortune on GOLDENNUGGETCASINO.COM
Welcome to the discussion.
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.