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New council allies may let Langford achieve goals
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ATLANTIC CITY - To government wonks, Atlantic City is governed under a "strong-mayor" form of government. Mayor Lorenzo Langford may have challenged that label during his first term in office.
He was constantly weakened by a rival City Council that opposed the majority of his appointments and initiatives and battered him with criticism at every turn. But Tuesday's election not only ensured another four years in office for Langford, he finally finds himself in a strong position, with the majority of the nine-member City Council behind him. Atlantic City should be ready to see Langford flex his political muscle.
The election of Langford's three running mates - incumbent George Tibbitt and newcomers Moisse Delgado and Frank Gilliam - brings to at least six the council members who publicly support Langford.
"I think you're going to see a lot of movement in the first six months," said Council President William "Speedy" Marsh, a longtime friend of the mayor. "We have a lot of work to do, and we're in a position to get things done."
A lot of that work will require some heavy lifting. The city's budget could include a $25 million hole next year after pensions were deferred this year, development throughout the resort has been stagnant and Bader Field has now gone through two rounds of soliciting buyers and remains as idle as it ever has been.
Marsh said selling or leasing Bader Field is the top priority for both the mayor and City Council. Langford recently touched on a new plan to divide the site's 143 acres into parcels and trade them for other city tracts. He also said he plans to step up discussions with Penn National Gaming and Pinnacle Entertainment, two gaming companies that have previously confirmed moderate interest in the site.
The mayor has battled with council over who should be "driving the bus" regarding development at Bader Field. The mayor fought publicly for more control and engaged in private discussions with casino developers. But the Bader Field Committee, run by Langford rival Councilman Dennis Mason, gave little thought to surrendering its power.
"He doesn't have a seat on the bus, let alone drive it," Mason said last December.
But a City Council backing Langford could mean Mason's chairmanship on the Planning and Development Committee could vanish at the city's reorganization meeting in January.
And Langford's in a position where his influence on City Council could get stronger. Two of his perceived rival councilmen - Mason and Marty Small - face tough re-election bids in the future.
Small is currently facing election fraud charges stemming from his mayoral campaign against Langford in the June primary. The councilman suffered a major defeat that election, including losing his own 2nd Ward. Langford has already been rumored to be considering running campaign supporter Michael Harvey for the seat.
Mason also may be vulnerable when he runs for re-election in 2011. The 5th Ward councilman, who unexpectedly ran for mayor as an independent last week, collected fewer than 300 votes.
"Those campaigns have nothing to do with each other," Mason said of the mayoral bid and his future council race.
Mason said unexpected personal problems prevented him from crafting the type of campaign he had hoped to run.
"If anyone wants to run for my seat, I say bring 'em on," he said.
Contact Michael Clark:
609-272-7204
Posted in Atlantic_city on Sunday, November 8, 2009 2:10 am
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