Atlantic City, NJ Mayor Led Effort To Fire Housing Exec. Director

Atlantic City, New Jersey Mayor Marty Small is telling everyone who will listen … How very surprised he was about the firing of Matt Doherty as Executive Director of the Atlantic City Housing Authority.

Absolutely no one believes Small’s big claim.

If past is prologue, Small was likely involved.

Remember that Small also publicly states that he had nothing to do with the firing of John Devlin from his position as Chairman of the Atlantic City Utilities Authority.

Numerous credible sources have publicly stated on our airwaves that they have text messages and other communications about Small’s direct involvement in Devlin’s removal from the authority.

One or more Small’s were also involved with removing John Devlin from his seat on the Atlantic City Board of Education.

Devlin had served for more than 20 years on the school board and he is currently appealing his termination with the New Jersey state board of education.

Here are the facts. One of Small’s closest political allies is Stephanie Marshall.

Marshall is the Chairperson of the Atlantic City Housing Authority.

The Atlantic City Housing Authority board is perhaps one of the worst run agencies in America.

Another close Small political ally, Geoff Dorsey worked side-by-side with Marshall to oust Doherty.

Small hand-picked Dorsey to run this year for City Council in the 6th Ward.

Small picked Marshall, too and ran with her on the same Democratic ticket a few years ago.

Small is also a political control freak. No major decision occurs without his approval. There is simply no way that his closest political allies would fire Doherty … who Small endorsed to be hired as Executive Director … without Small knowing about it.

Small has publicly stated that he didn’t know about Doherty’s firing before it happened.

Multiple well placed Atlantic City sources have confirmed to me that Small wanted Doherty fired … but, wanted to keep his hands clean in the eyes of the public.

Doherty’s firing is a direct byproduct that he was investigating systemic, long-time mismanagement at the Atlantic City Housing Authority.

In just one example, Doherty uncovered more than $ 400,000 that was paid to consultants … for work that should have been accomplished by employees already on the payroll.

Marshall has served on the Atlantic City Housing Authority Board for the past 10 years.

The entire past decade has been one of abject failure at the Atlantic City Housing Authority … whereby Marshall’s service at this agency has been a public disgrace … as residents have been forced to live without proper heating, air conditioning and ventilation, along with horrific living conditions … as their homes were filled with rats, (said to be as big as cats) and insect infestation.

The United States Housing and Urban Development has formally declared that the Atlantic City Housing Authority is a "troubled" agency.

The Atlantic City Housing Authority failed an audit in 2022 and has been cited for violating dozens of HUD policies over the years.

Marshall refuses to allow the public to ask questions at open public board meetings. Marshall even shut down a fellow board member in public session who was questioning the Doherty firing.

We caught-up with Doherty within an hour of his termination earlier this week. He told me:

“The action taken by the board in a special meeting to terminate me is clearly retribution because I publicly exposed the financial wrongdoings of the authority and its negative impact on the residents it is supposed to serve. HUD should take over the authority at this point,” said Doherty.

The Atlantic City Housing Authority could not fire Doherty for cause, because he had done nothing wrong.

Instead, they fired Doherty by choice, meaning that Doherty will continue to receive full pay for the next four months, totaling  about $ 50,000 for not working.

The United States Housing and Urban Development has rated the Atlantic City Housing Authority as a financially troubled agency.

Doherty was already making a positive difference. He was finding waste, political patronage and he was keenly focused on fixing the various long-time HVAC hardships and utter horrible living conditions that Atlantic City residents have been suffering from for many years.

Doherty’s firing was so politically dirty, with at least two members who supported Doherty, that were conveniently not in attendance and another board member was told the incorrect time for the meeting.

Doherty ultimately lost his position in a 4-1 vote. The political wrangling of the board meeting member turnout also supports the theory that supreme political influence was wielded to assure the desired result.

Small not only knew about Doherty’s firing … Atlantic City sources say that Small led the effort.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and the United States Housing and Urban Development should immediately step-in and invalidate this outrageous decision and disband the Atlantic City Housing Authority board.