Atlantic City Mayor Small’s Salary is Going Big: $103,000 to $141,000

ATLANTIC CITY MAYOR “SMALL” IS GOING “BIG”

Atlantic City Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy, II is not the least bit happy with Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small’s imminent and exorbitant salary increase.

Small’s annual salary will be increasing from $ 103,000 to a whopping $ 141,000; an increase of 36.89 percent.

By comparison, the Atlantic County Executive salary was $ 153,629 in 2019. I’ll update the current 2020 salary ASAP.

I have confirmed the Atlantic City Mayor salary increase with Councilman Fauntleroy.

City Council approved an increase for the Mayor. Former Mayor Lorenzo Langford left office before it took effect.

Former Mayor Don Guardian could have sought a much higher salary, but, opted not to take it.

Guardian’s rationale was that the city was going through tough times and under a state takeover and they simply couldn’t justify taking such a large salary increase for themselves.

Former Atlantic City Mayor Frank Gilliam pushed hard to raise his salary, but, the state would not approve the increase.

I asked Faunleroy: What do you think of Mayor Small’s increase? He didn’t hold back. Without hesitation, Fauntleroy said, “I think it’s gross. At a time when we are $ 370 million in debt, it’s wrong,” said Faunleroy.

Fauntleroy said that he and “almost every member of City Council didn’t know about this large salary increase, “except for Council President George Tibbitt,” said Fauntleroy.

Fauntleroy was aware of a total increase of $ 40,000 in the budget, under the mayors office, listed under salaries and wages.

Fauntleroy believed that this was either for a staff position, or smaller raises for many employees.

Fauntleroy also confirmed that Small has two additional employees in the Mayor’s office than Gilliam or Guardian had.

The Small money grab is taking place during a global pandemic, when so many have lost their jobs altogether.

Further, Atlantic City had the highest unemployment rate in America at 34.2% during the second quarter of this year.

For the above reasons, it’s an outrageous time to take such a substantial salary increase.

So many blue-collar and white-collar employees are working for short money and small annual increases in the range of $1500.

This is tone deaf at so many levels.

It should be noted that the state of New Jersey has approved the salary increase. But, that still doesn’t make it right.

A City Hall source has confirmed that City Council has approved the salary increase on two separate occasions.

Also, the state directed the salary increase to put the Mayor’s position in line, as dozens of city employees presently earn more than the Mayor.

Finally, for the scope and size of the position, $103,000 would be in adequate if we were in better times.

Something like this should not even be on a Mayors’s radar, when times are this challenging.

Developing.

NOTE: I will be seeking and adding additional comments from Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small and City Council President George Tibbitt ASAP.