Small hits back at Atlantic City councilman calling for county to help run city

ATLANTIC CITY — Mayor Marty Small Sr., angry over Councilman George Tibbitt’s recent call for the county’s Republican administration to help run the city, warned his onetime ally to resign or face a recall vote.

“Resign or we’re going to recall your ass,” Small said during a news conference Tuesday.

Tibbitt who has been on council about 16 years, supported a Republican for a county commissioner seat covering Atlantic City over incumbent Democrat Ernest Coursey last fall.

Coursey, who won anyway, is Small’s chief of staff.

“That’s fine. I’m perfectly content if they want to recall me. I’ll move on to the next chapter of my life,” Tibbitt said after the news conference. “Whatever the citizens choose, I will accept.”

Small and Tibbitt are both Democrats and ran together on a ticket in 2021, but a recent feud resulted in Tibbitt aligning with Small’s critics.

Tibbitt said Tuesday that Small is overreacting to what he said recently on Harry Hurley’s radio show on WPG Talk Radio.

“It’s a shame we shut the city down for a temper tantrum, all because I said I can’t believe the city’s budget and school budget is well over a half billion dollars for 48 blocks,” Tibbitt said. “Maybe it’s time we get involved with the county with oversight, since they do such a good job over there.”

Tibbitt said he believes representatives from the county know the city better than state representatives do, and could be more effective in oversight of the city’s hiring, firing, contracts and finances.

“I was complimenting (Republican County Executive) Denny Levinson and how well the county is run,” Tibbitt said. “I truly believe Denny Levinson has the tools to help the city.”

Small also accused Tibbitt, who is white, of being racist and of working with “four other disgruntled irrelevant white men” whom he did not name to try to destroy his administration.

He referred to them as a “fraudcaster,” a “disgruntled ... irrelevant businessman bar owner,” a “current drunken school board member” and a “radio host from Philadelphia who cannot find a job in the Atlantic City market.”

“Those five idiots ... have no say, no sway, no clout, no decision making on how jobs are distributed, contracts given or government runs,” Small said.

Small’s handling of Tibbitt differs from how he recently handled Councilman MD Hossain Morshed being charged with various federal offenses, including falsifying voter registrations.

On Saturday, Small said Morshed’s legal problems are between him and the FBI, and would not say whether he will ask him to resign.

Tibbitt has said the feud with Small is related to Tibbitt’s frustration over getting information on the budgeting process and details of how the city is run, while Small has suggested the falling out is more personal.

“He doesn’t like educated people,” Small said, referring to how Tibbitt’s comments insulted the departmental directors running his administration.

Flanked by departmental directors and Council members Aaron “Sporty” Randolph, Kaleem Shabazz, Stephanie Marshall and Muhammed Zia, Small also defended his administration’s record.

“We came in and changed the culture, employees’ mindset, people’s salaries were right-sized and they have an opportunity to get promoted … as long as the finances are right,” Small said.

Small then went through a slide presentation listing hundreds of city initiatives and accomplishments, including settling contracts with police, fire and other unions, finding funds to hire more police officers, raising the city’s credit rating, and getting $107 million in federal and state grants for the city in three years.

“I’ll take Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s opinion over George Tibbitt’s any day,” Small said.