ATLANTIC CITY — Mayor Frank Gilliam Jr. left the scene of an early-morning brawl outside a casino nightclub in November in his city-issued black Chevrolet Suburban, according to three sources.
City-issued vehicles have been a controversial subject for elected officials in the resort for nearly two decades, particularly the blurred, and often ignored, line between personal and professional use.
The mayor of Atlantic City is the only elected official who is provided a city-issued vehicle after the privilege was eliminated for members of City Council in 2016.
Asked about the situation following Wednesday night’s council meeting, Gilliam said “no comment.”
The state Department of Community Affairs, which has direct oversight of the city following the 2016 Municipal Recovery and Stabilization Act, did not comment on the matter.
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The sources all requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
Councilman Jesse Kurtz said he believes use of city vehicles by election officials should be subject to a “complete,” “thorough” and “ongoing” audit to ensure city resources are being used responsibly and in the most cost-efficient manner.
“I think there needs to be a line between using city-owned vehicles for professional and personal use,” said Kurtz. “Regardless of who the city employee is, none of the vehicles should be used for personal reasons.”
Security footage from outside the Haven Nightclub at Golden Nugget Atlantic City on Nov. 11, which was released to the media by the state Attorney General’s Office, showed Gilliam and Councilman Jeffree Fauntleroy II fighting with two other men in a parking area outside the club at 2:22 a.m.
Following the fight, Gilliam is seen entering the driver’s side of the vehicle and leaving the property at 2:27 a.m.
Recently, Gilliam has been seen using a black Ford Explorer with municipal government license plates.
The use of municipally owned vehicles by public employees is not regulated by the state. It is left up to individual jurisdictions to design, implement and enforce standards.
Atlantic City has no formal standards for use of city vehicles by elected officials.
In 2012, the state recommended Atlantic City discontinue the unwritten practice of allowing part-time elected officials to have city-issued vehicles.
The mayor — the only full-time elected position in the city and who is “on call” 24 hours a day — was not subject to the state’s request.
Atlantic City elected officials have a checkered history with municipal-issued vehicles.
In 2007, former Councilman Tim Mancuso was ordered by the city’s business administrator to give up his vehicle for running up “excessive” gas receipts and for nonofficial use. That same year, former Councilman Eugene Robinson was ordered by the same administrator to turn over his keys due to several accidents, including one where he reportedly left the scene. Councilman George Tibbitt (who deferred comment on this specific incident to the council president and voluntarily turned in a city-issued vehicle in 2012) came under scrutiny in 2016 for using a city car for personal business.
In 2015, a resolution co-sponsored by then-Council President Gilliam attempted to rein in the use of city vehicles by council members by requiring elected officials to sign out vehicles in a log, but no records were ever kept.
The use of city-issued vehicles was eliminated for the nine-member council three years ago as a cost-cutting measure when the city was facing the prospect of bankruptcy. Council members paid taxes on their city-issued vehicles, but other associated costs were paid by taxpayers.
Gilliam and Fauntleroy are facing disorderly persons offenses of simple assault and harassment in relation to the nightclub fight.
