Strengthening Atlantic City’s revitalization through continued collaboration

Since day one of our work in Atlantic City, the Murphy administration’s message has been clear: While there is much to do, we don’t have to do it all at once or by ourselves. This strategy serves as a reminder of the extensive challenges facing Atlantic City as we work and collaborate with our local partners to end state oversight by putting the city on strong financial and administrative footing.

The vision to achieve this mission is laid out in detail in the Atlantic City Transition Report, and the steps to transform the vision into reality are delineated in the Atlantic City Implementation Plan.

Alongside the City of Atlantic City and the Atlantic City Executive Council — a group of stakeholders and community institutions — we are breaking down silos between state, local, public and private entities that share the common desire to get things done.

As a result, the city is improving as demonstrated by the emerging trend of responsible budgets that have stabilized municipal property taxes; back-to-back credit rating upgrades by S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s Investors Service; and a pair of recent successful property auctions hosted by the city. We are confident that the City of Atlantic City and its finances are in a better place, and that the community is turning a corner.

This success is generating progress in other areas of the city such that while we continue to gain momentum and climb the steep hill of stabilization and recovery in Atlantic City, the pace of the climb has accelerated, enabling us to push through challenges and achieve goals more easily.

People can read about these accomplishments in detail in the three quarterly reports we have issued thus far on our work with the city and stakeholders. The fourth quarterly report will be released shortly.

While the city is in better fiscal shape, it still grapples with the tension that exists between its limited financial resources and its need to spend money in order to attract development and new residents.

We understand that residents, businesses, developers, and investors want to see good infrastructure and improved social services.

But because of the tight municipal budget, we and the city can’t do everything right away. We are, however, making investments where we can.

For example, road paving projects will begin this spring, and the city is working to install LED streetlights. Also, the federal government earlier this month approved the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs’ (DCA) proposal to allocate $20 million in disaster recovery funding to help repair and replace infrastructure in Atlantic City that was damaged by Superstorm Sandy.

The projects identified for funding include the repair, replacement or introduction of bulkheads in neighborhoods such as Lower Chelsea, Gardner’s Basin and Ducktown; replacement of check valves in drainage areas along the bay; traffic signal replacements; and floodproofing City Hall and other public buildings.

We also intend to redouble our efforts to address longstanding issues such as unemployment and underemployment, public health, youth development and affordable housing.

For instance, we are currently reviewing a Rutgers study that was conducted at our request to determine the public health needs of city residents and what can be done to meet those needs. Additionally, we are working to expand summer internships and job opportunities for city youth. We are also guiding the city on how to take advantage of opportunities at the state and federal levels to create affordable housing for working families and supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness, as well as those with special needs.

And to further invest in and increase engagement within the community, we have been working with our public and private partners to offer more recreational activities and opportunities for personal enrichment.

This past year, we organized citywide, ward-specific and Latino town halls; the Gardner’s basin concerts have returned to offer family-friendly summer recreation; the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and Second Baptist Church have created a collaboration to help at-risk youth; and to further support Atlantic City youth, we have increased funding for programming at the Boys & Girls Club and PAL in the summer, and brought on 45 paid summer interns.

Gov. Murphy and I appreciate the investment that stakeholders in the city are making to Atlantic City’s renewal, and we encourage them to continue their efforts because we are most certainly making progress.

With perseverance and commitment to the vision and collaborative process we have put it in place, we are confident that Atlantic City’s ongoing revitalization will only continue to strengthen and endure.

(Lt. Gov. Sheila Y. Oliver is commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.)

TOMORROW: Rebuilding Atlantic City, neighborhood by neighborhood.