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Atlantic City could be facing a staggering budget deficit of as much as $25 million next year.

Shouldn't the city be looking at every opportunity to save money? Shouldn't it want to send out a message that sacrifice will begin at the top?

Apparently, no. In City Hall, it's business as usual when it comes to creating positions for pals.

Last year, Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford was unsuccessful in convincing City Council to re-create the Weights and Measures Division so that Langford could hire back his longtime friend, Mark Hamilton, as superintendent. So Langford got Hamilton on the payroll anyway - first as an aide in the mayor's office, then as a food-service worker.

Now, the mayor has finally juggled funds to re-create the Weights and Measures Division and hire Hamilton to head it - with a city office, a cell phone, salary, benefits and a city car, "preferably an SUV," according to a city memo.

Atlantic City used to have its own Weights and Measures Division. It used to have its own general-assistance welfare office as well. Atlantic County government handled those jobs for every other municipality in the county - and in 2006, then-Mayor Bob Levy shifted those two functions to the county. It was a classic case of achieving savings from regionalization: The costs to the county to handle the additional work were much less than what Atlantic City was paying. The county welcomed the move.

County officials have gone back and forth since then on whether they want to continue to do the weights-and-measures job in Atlantic City. Most recently, they say they're getting the job done, but it would be easier if the county didn't have to pick up the extra work.

Well ... sure. The county has its own financial pressures right now, too.

Still, few people believe Atlantic City is re-creating this office because it's worried the county isn't doing the job and that the cold-cut scale is off at the corner deli. Not with the mayor's pal getting the job after a year-long battle.

Atlantic City needs to conserve every penny, not create more work and expense for itself. Its upcoming budget crisis is likely to be worse than Atlantic County's, partly because it didn't take the kinds of painful, belt-tightening measures last year that the county and many other municipalities did.

Re-creating this office will just make it that much harder to balance the budget - and to ask for sacrifices from city employees and residents next year.

3 comments:

• Salvatore (45) posts 11:30 am

  Its time to fight back. Home values have dropped almost 20% this year. File a property tax appeal. Tax cards are going out soon, follow directions on back for tax appeal instructions. Use zillow.com to find current resales in your area. Use atlantic county records web site to print proof of deed sale. Atlantic county clerk (records search) http://208.48.197.211/or_web1/ Property Tax brochures http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/lpt/ptbrochures.shtml Tax appeal form http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/taxation/pdf/other_forms/lpt/adomap.pdf Use zillow.com and trulia.com to find resales (comps) Also heplful Tax records search http://tax1.co.monmouth.nj.us/cgi-bin/prc6.cgi?menu=index&ms_user=monm&passwd=data&district=1301&mode=11

• Republican4Mayor (212) posts 9:24 am

  It comes as no surprise to this taxpayer that the recently reelected Mayor continues to hire friends and family and create position after position and use city hall as an employment agency. I, for one, have had enough and placed my home in Atlantic City on the market with the hope I can jump out of the boat that the Mayor proclaimed we are all in together during his most recent campaign rhetoric. Residents of Atlantic City, you get what you voted for and you get what you deserve! By the time the phase in of the tax increase is complete there will be NO ONE left in town that can afford the Mayors reckless spending, on top of the 25 million short fall that MUST be paid back to the pension fund this coming year! The Mayor tabled the increases for the Teaneck law firm until after the election, then granted then in excess of $300,000.00, he continues to pay Councilman Robinson even after a years absence from the job (YOU TRY THAT AT YOUR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT!), and now the latest assault on the taxpayer is hiring Mark Hamilton and creating yet another position for the Mayors long time friend (during a hiring freeze I may add). MR. MAYOR remember when you told council you needed EMERGENCY LANDSCAPERS to work in the city? On that point you were correct!!! We do need them, to plant some trees, because obviously you think that MONEY GROWS ON THEM. STOP THE ABUSE OF THE TAXPAYER ALREADY! Because if my home does NOT sell, I will head a recall petition, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!!!

• BernieSchwartz (645) posts 8:30 am

  Business as usual will end next year. There will probably be a riot with all the lay-offs the city will have to make. Don't plan for the future dopes, live for today and worry about tomorrow next year.

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