Editing Atlantic City, New Jersey (section)

=== Local government ===
[[File:Atlantic City Wards (as of May 2023).png|thumb|Electoral map of Atlantic City]]
{{Infobox UCR
|city_name=Atlantic City
|year=2019
|homicide=11 {{small|(0.03 per 1,000{{Efn|based on 2022 census data|name=popnote}})}}
|forcible_rape=29 {{small|(0.08)}}
|robbery=182 {{small|(0.47)}}
|aggravated_assault=101 {{small|(0.26)}}
|violent_crime=323 {{small|(0.84)}}
|burglary=130 {{small|(0.34)}}
|larceny_theft=1,519 {{small|(3.95)}}
|motor_vehicle_theft=89 {{small|(0.23)}}
|arson=2 {{small|(0.01)}}
|property_crime=1,738 {{small|(4.51)}}
|source_url=https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/tables/table-8/table-8-state-cuts/newjersey.xls/output.xls
|source_name=2019 FBI "Crime in the U.S." UCR Data
|notestop=[c] based on 2022 census data
|notes=
}}
{{Further|Mayors of Atlantic City, New Jersey}}
Atlantic City is governed within the [[Faulkner Act]] (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the [[Faulkner Act (mayor–council)|Mayor-Council]] system of municipal government (Plan D), implemented by direct petition effective as of July 1, 1982.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 12.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=10 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 10. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref><ref>[http://www.dudley-2010.com/Faulkner%20Act%2046pages.pdf "The Faulkner Act: New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012040522/http://www.dudley-2010.com/Faulkner%20Act%2046pages.pdf |date=October 12, 2013 }}, [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], July 2007. Accessed October 22, 2013.</ref> The city is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide governed under this form.<ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/inventory_of_municipal_forms_of_government_in_new_jersey.pdf ''Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey''], [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body of Atlantic City comprises the Mayor and the City Council, all elected on a partisan basis to serve four-year terms of office as part of the November general election. The council includes nine members, who are elected on a staggered basis, with one member from each of six [[Ward (United States)|wards]] and three serving [[at-large]]. The six ward seats are up for election together and the mayoral seat and the council at-large seats are up for vote together two years later. The City Council exercises the legislative power of the municipality for the purpose of holding Council meetings to introduce ordinances and resolutions to regulate City government. In addition, Council members review budgets submitted by the Mayor; provide for an annual audit of the city's accounts and financial transactions; organize standing committees and hold public hearings to address important issues which impact Atlantic City.<ref>[http://www.cityofatlanticcity.org/officials.aspx Elected Officials] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117235035/http://cityofatlanticcity.org/officials.aspx |date=November 17, 2016 }}, Atlantic City. Accessed November 19, 2016.</ref> Former Mayor Bob Levy created the Atlantic City Ethics Board in 2007, but the Board was dissolved two years later by vote of the Atlantic City Council.

{{As of|2024}}, the [[List of mayors of Atlantic City, New Jersey|Mayor]] is  Democrat [[Marty Small Sr.]], whose term of office ends December 31, 2025.<ref name="Mayor">[https://www.acnj.gov/Officials/Bio/mayor-marty-small-sr Mayor Marty Small Sr.], City of Atlantic City. Accessed May 23, 2024.</ref> Small succeeded [[Frank Gilliam (politician)|Frank M. Gilliam Jr.]] following his resignation on October 3, 2019.<ref>[https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/crime/atlantic-city-mayor-gilliam-resigns-after-guilty-plea-in-federal/article_b9bbf8ec-d1ac-5544-a1ea-8a5d4db0c3b0.html "Atlantic City Mayor Gilliam resigns after guilty plea in federal court, Small to take over"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', October 3, 2019. Accessed October 16, 2019</ref> Small initially served as mayor on an interim basis for an unexpired term ending on December 31, 2021.<ref>[https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-city-council-votes-small-state-won-t-miss-a/article_4534b4f0-775a-5400-a41b-b705999f3ea3.html "Atlantic City Council votes Small, state 'won't miss a beat' with new mayor"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', October 15, 2019. Accessed October 16, 2019. "During a special meeting Tuesday evening, Small was selected by the governing body to serve an unexpired term as the city's chief executive following the abrupt departure of Frank Gilliam Jr., who resigned earlier this month."</ref> Members of the City Council are Council President Council President Aaron "Sporty" Randolph (D, 2027; 1st Ward), Council Vice President Kaleem Shabazz (D, 2027; 3rd Ward), George "Animal" Crouch (D, 2027; 4th Ward), LaToya Dunston (D, 2027; Second Ward – elected to serve an unexpired term), Jesse O. Kurtz ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]], 2027; 6th Ward), Stephanie Marshall (D, 2025; At-Large), George Tibbitt (D, 2025; At-Large), Bruce Weekes (D, 2025; At-Large) and Maria Lacca (R, 2027; 5th Ward).<ref name=CityCouncil>[https://www.acnj.gov/directory Directory], City of Atlantic City. Accessed May 23, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://www.acnj.gov/_Content/pdf/budgets/2023-Adopted-Budget.pdf#page=10 2023 Municipal Data Sheet], City of Atlantic City. Accessed May 23, 2024.</ref><ref name=Govt>[https://www.atlanticcountynj.gov/government/government-information/municipal-governments Municipal Governments], [[Atlantic County, New Jersey]]. Accessed May 23, 2024.</ref><ref name=Atlantic2023>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Atlantic/119051/web.317647/#/summary 2023 General Election November 7, 2023 Official Results], [[Atlantic County, New Jersey]], updated November 27, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Atlantic2021>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Atlantic/111509/web.278093/#/summary General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results], [[Atlantic County, New Jersey]], updated January 4, 2022. Accessed February 1, 2022.</ref>

In 2024, Democrat Muhammed "Anjum" Zia, who served as a councilman for the 5th ward, was removed from office after it was found the he did not reside in Atlantic City, but instead with his family in Egg Harbor Township. He was ousted from the city council, and in a court-ordered special election that November, Republican Maria Lacca, who brought about the investigation against Zia, flipped the seat, becoming the first Republican to win it since 1988. She became one out of two Republicans now currently on Atlantic City's council, with the other being councilman Jesse O. Kurtz of the 6th ward.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Wildstein |first=David |date=2024-11-06 |title=GOP flips Atlantic City, Absecon seats |url=https://newjerseyglobe.com/campaigns/gop-flips-atlantic-city-absecon-seats/ |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=New Jersey Globe |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hurley |first=Harry|date=2024-08-29 |title=New Jersey Judge Removes Atlantic City Councilman from Office |url=https://wpgtalkradio.com/new-jersey-judge-removes-atlantic-city-councilman-from-office/ |access-date=2025-01-25 |website=WPG Talk Radio 95.5 FM |language=en}}</ref>

In May 2020, voters rejected by a 3–1 margin a referendum that would have changed the city to a [[Faulkner Act (council–manager)|council-manager]] form of government which would have reduced the size of the city council and shifted responsibility for day-to-day operation from an elected mayor to an appointed [[city manager]].<ref>Biryukov, Nikita. [https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/atlantic-city-referendum-defeated-in-landslide/ "Atlantic City referendum defeated in landslide City voters overwhelmingly vote to keep current form of government"], New Jersey Globe, May 12, 2020. Accessed May 13, 2020. "Voters in Atlantic City slapped down a referendum that would have eliminated the city's mayor and reduced the number of seats on the city's council. The referendum, which was opposed by incumbent councilmembers, Mayor Marty Small and the Callaway family-led Atlantic City Democratic organization, was defeated 985 to 3,275.... The measure would have replaced the mayor's post with a council-appointed city manager and cut down the number of council seats from nine to five."</ref>

In December 2019, LaToya Dunston was selected from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to serve the remainder of the term of the Second Ward seat that had been held by Marty Small until he stepped down when he was appointed as mayor.<ref>Danzis, David. [https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/atlantic-city-council-selects-dunston-for-nd-ward-seat/article_745469d6-d289-5718-9b5a-2e8f9ba61875.html "Atlantic City Council selects Dunston for 2nd Ward seat"], ''[[The Press of Atlantic City]]'', November 12, 2019. Accessed March 18, 2020. "LaToya Dunston, 36, was unanimously selected by council to serve as the 2nd Ward representative for the remainder of 2019. She fills the vacancy left by Marty Small Sr., who became mayor Oct. 4 after his predecessor, Frank Gilliam Jr., abruptly resigned a day earlier."</ref> In January 2020, Dunston was appointed to fill the Second Ward seat expiring in December 2023 that Small had won in November 2019 but declined to fill; Dunston will serve on an interim basis until the November 2020 general election, when voters will select a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref>[https://cityofatlanticcity.org/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?juwpfisadmin=false&action=wpfd&task=file.download&wpfd_category_id=73&wpfd_file_id=21977 Reorganization Meeting Minutes for January 1, 2020] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726124424/https://cityofatlanticcity.org/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?juwpfisadmin=false&action=wpfd&task=file.download&wpfd_category_id=73&wpfd_file_id=21977 |date=July 26, 2020 }}, City of Atlantic City. Accessed March 18, 2020.</ref>

====Mayoral disappearance and resignation====
Following questions about false claims he had made about his military record, Mayor [[Bob Levy (New Jersey politician)#False claims of service and the federal investigation|Bob Levy]] left City Hall in September 2007 in a city-owned vehicle for an unknown destination. After a 13-day absence, his lawyer revealed that Levy was in [[Carrier Clinic]], a rehabilitation hospital.<ref>Ryan, Joe. [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2007/10/atlantic_city_mayor_still_miss.html "Atlantic City mayor was at Carrier Clinic"], ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'', October 9, 2007. Accessed June 14, 2016. "The mayor of Atlantic City whose mysterious absence sparked political chaos and national intrigue was at a rehabilitation facility in Somerset County, his attorney said today. Robert Levy spent the start of his 13-day disappearance from public life at the Carrier Clinic in Belle Mead, his attorney told the Press of Atlantic City for a report on its Web site."</ref> Levy resigned in October 2007 and then-Council President William Marsh assumed the office of Mayor<ref>Cox, Paul. [http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2007/10/marsh_is_sworn_in_as_atlantic.html "Marsh is sworn in as Atlantic City mayor"], ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'', October 11, 2007. Accessed June 14, 2016. "Atlantic City City Council President William 'Speedy' Marsh was sworn in as the resort's mayor Wednesday afternoon by City Clerk Rosemary Adams, according to a report in the Press of Atlantic City. The event occurred just hours after former Mayor Bob Levy resigned amid an ongoing federal investigation into his military record and after Levy had returned from a stay at a Somerset County clinic that specializes in mental health and addiction recovery."</ref> and served six weeks until an interim mayor was named.