ATLANTIC CITY - A second round of amendments to a bill creating an Atlantic City tourism district would give higher funding priority to horse racing and strip more powers from the city's rapidly weakening government.
The proposed changes appear to be causing some dissent within the Democratic Party. with original Senate bill sponsor Jim Whelan removing
The amendments, drafted by Democrats and obtained by The Press of Atlantic City today, require initial savings obtained through potential casino regulatory reforms to be redirected to fund the state's horse racing industry. Originally, the first $30 million in savings was to be committed to a new tourism district, which will encompass the city's busiest areas and include new management to improve safety, cleanliness and marketing.
Under the new proposal, the district would still be funded by $30 million in savings from the expiration of a horse racing subsidy funded by the casinos. However, the tourism district was also originally positioned to collect the first $30 million of savings through proposed casino deregulation.
Now, the New Jersey Racing Commission will get the first $15 million of deregulation savings and receive a total of $30 million over three years after the bill's enactment.
"I wish that wasn't in there," said state Sen. Jeff Van Drew, D-Cape May, Cumberland, Atlantic, who co-authored the amendments with Democratic state Senate President Stephen Sweeney.
Horseracing "is an industry that, if it wasn't there, would not, in my opinion, put a knife in the heart of our state's economy. But I'm trying to do the best that I can to get something done," Van Drew said.
While Van Drew kept his name on the bill, its chief original sponsor is noticeably missing from the proposal. State Sen. Jim Whelan, D-Atlantic, is no longer sponsoring the bill because of new changes giving the state authority over law enforcement within the proposed tourism district and controlling powers over the city's code enforcement operation.
The proposal would require the city's Police Department to create a new division to patrol the district. That division would be solely controlled by a commander appointed by the superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, but the city would pay for division's staff and operations.
Whelan sent Sweeney a memo today voicing concern over requiring the city to give up control over law enforcement and city code enforcement in the district while making the local government still fund those services.
"In each of these provisions, there is no further funding source provided," reads the memo, which was also sent to Mayor Lorenzo Langford. "I am concerned that in the absence of specific funding for public safety in the tourism district, most of the police department's resources will be pulled into the tourism district, leaving few resources to address public safety in areas outside of the tourism district."
This story is developing. Check back here for updates and see Wednesday's edition of The Press for complete coverage.
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