Mayors of Atlantic City, New Jersey

Mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey

Seal of Atlantic City

Flag of Atlantic City

Incumbent
Marty Small Sr.

since October 4, 2019 (2019-10-04)

Government of Atlantic City, New Jersey
Seat| Atlantic City Hall
Term length| Four years
Formation| May 1, 1854; 171 years ago (1854-05-01)
Salary| $103,000 (2016)
Website| www.acnj.gov

Atlantic City, New Jersey, was incorporated on May 1, 1854. It is governed within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the mayor–council system of municipal government (Plan D), implemented by direct petition effective as of July 1, 1982.[1][2] The Atlantic City City Council is the governing body of Atlantic City. There are nine Council members, who are elected to serve for a term of four years, one from each of six wards and three serving at-large. The City Council exercises the legislative power of the municipality for the purpose of holding Council meetings to introduce ordinances and resolutions to regulate City government. In addition, Council members review budgets submitted by the Mayor; provide for an annual audit of the city's accounts and financial transactions; organize standing committees and hold public hearings to address important issues which impact Atlantic City.[3] Former Mayor Bob Levy created the Atlantic City Ethics Board in 2007, but the Board was dissolved two years later by vote of the Atlantic City Council. Since its incorporation in 1854, the town has had 41 mayors.[4][5]

## Mayors

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#  | Mayor  | Image  | Term start  | Term end  | Terms  |  | Party  | Notes

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1 |  | Chalkley Steelman Leeds | May 1, 1854 | 1856  | 2  |  | None | This was his first term.[6]
2 |  | Richard Hackett | 1856  | 1856  | 1⁄2 |  | None  |
3 |  | John George Washington Avery | 1856  | 1857  | 1  |  | None  |
4 |  | Lewis Reed | 1857  | 1861  | 4  |  | None  |
5 |  | James Harper | 1861  | 1862  | 1  |  | None  |
(1) |  | Chalkley Steelman Leeds | 1862  | 1863  | 1  |  | None  | This was his second term.
6 |  | Jacob Middleton | 1863  | 1865  | 2  |  | None  |
7 |  | Robert T. Evard | 1865  | 1866  | 1  |  | Republican | [7]
8 |  | David W. Belisle | 1866  | 1868  | 2  |  | Republican  |
9 |  | Lemuel G. Eldridge | 1868  | 1868  | Partial  |  | Republican  |
10 |  | John James Gardner | 1868  | 1872  | 4  |  | Republican  | [8]
11 |  | Charles Souder | 1872  | 1874  | 2  |  | Republican  |
(10) |  | John James Gardner | 1874  | 1876  | 2  |  | Republican  |
12 |  | Willard Wright | 1876  | 1878  | 2  |  | Democratic |
13 |  | John L. Bryant | 1878  | 1879  | 1  |  | Republican  |
(12) |  | Willard Wright | 1879  | 1880  | 1  |  | Democratic  |
14 |  | Harry L. Slape | 1880  | 1881  | 1  |  | Republican  |
(12) |  | Willard Wright | 1881  | 1882  | 1  |  | Democratic  |
15 |  | Charles Maxwell | 1882  | 1885  | 3  |  | Republican  |
16 |  | Thomas C. Garrett | 1885  | 1887  | 2  |  | Republican  |
17 |  | Samuel D. Hoffman | 1887  | 1891  | 4  |  | Republican  |
(12) |  | Willard Wright | 1891  | 1894  | 3  |  | Democratic  |
18 |  | Franklin Pierce Stoy | 1894  | 1897  | 3  |  | Republican  | (January 23, 1853 – July 22, 1911). He became a Councilman at Large of the local government in 1891 and, three years later, was elected chief executive. Known as the "Dandy Mayor,". He died in office in his second term of neuritis on July 22, 1911.[9][10]
19 |  | Joseph Thompson | 1897  | 1900  | 3  |  | Democratic  |
(18) |  | Franklin Pierce Stoy †  | 1900  | 1911  | 3  |  | Republican  | He became a Councilman at Large of the local government in 1891 and, three years later, was elected chief executive. Known as the "Dandy Mayor,". He died in office in his second term of neuritis on July 22, 1911.[9][10]
20 |  | George Carmany | 1911  | 1912  | Partial  |  | Republican  |
21 |  | Harry Bacharach[11] | 1912  | 1912  | 1  |  | Republican  |
22 |  | William Riddle | 1912  | 1916  | 1  |  | Democratic  |
(21) |  | Harry Bacharach | 1916  | 1920  | 1  |  | Republican  | [11][12]
23 |  | Edward Lawrence Bader †  | 1920  | 1927  | 2  |  | Republican  | He died in office.[13]
24 |  | Anthony Ruffu, Jr. | 1927  | 1930  | 1  |  | Republican  | [14]
25 |  | Joseph A. Paxson | 1930  | 1930  | Partial  |  | Republican  |
(21) |  | Harry Bacharach | 1930  | 1935  | 1  |  | Republican  |
26 |  | Charles D. White | 1935  | 1940  | 1  |  | Republican  |
27 |  | Thomas D. Taggart, Jr. | 1940  | 1944  | 1  |  | Democratic  | [15]
28 |  | Joseph Altman †  | 1944  | 1967  | 6  |  | Republican  | He died in office. He served for 23 years. Joseph Altman is the longest-serving mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey.
29 |  | Richard S. Jackson | 1967  | 1969  | Partial  |  | Republican  |
30 |  | William Thomas Somers | 1969  | 1972  | 1  |  | Democratic  |
31 |  | Joseph Bradway Jr. | 1972  | 1976  | 1  |  | Republican  |
32 |  | Joseph Lazarow | 1976  | 1982  | 1 1⁄2 |  | Republican  | [16]
33 |  | Michael J. Matthews | 1982  | 1984  | 1⁄2 |  | Democratic  |
34 |  | James Leroy Usry | 1984  | 1990  | 1 1⁄2 |  | Republican  | First African-American Mayor [17]
35 |  | Jim Whelan | 1990  | 2002  | 3  |  | Democratic  |
36 |  | Lorenzo Langford | 2002  | 2005  | 1  |  | Democratic  | [18]
37 |  | Robert Levy | 2006  | 2007  | Partial  |  | Democratic  | [19]
38 |  | Scott Evans | 2007  | 2008  | Partial  |  | Democratic  | [20]
(36) |  | Lorenzo Langford[21] | 2008  | 2013  | 1 1⁄2 |  | Democratic  | [21]
39 |  | Don Guardian | 2014  | 2017  | 1  |  | Republican  | [22]
40 |  | Frank Gilliam | 2018  | 2019  | Partial  |  | Democratic  | Gilliam resigned as mayor on October 3, 2019, following pleading guilty to wire fraud earlier that day in Federal Court [23]
41 |  | Marty Small Sr. | 2019  | Present  | 1 1⁄2 |  | Democratic  | Served as Acting Mayor for an unexpired term ending on December 31, 2020. Reelected.[24]

## References

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1. ^ 2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 12.
2. ^ "The Faulkner Act: New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law" Archived October 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey State League of Municipalities, July 2007. Accessed October 22, 2013.
3. ^ Elected Officials Archived 2016-11-17 at the Wayback Machine, Atlantic City. Accessed November 19, 2016.
4. ^ "Mayors of Atlantic City, New Jersey". Atlantic City, New Jersey. Retrieved March 20, 2016.
5. ^ John F. Hall. The Daily Union History of Atlantic City and County, New Jersey. p. 159.
6. ^ "Atlantic City Jubilee Ends. First Mayor Marches in a Procession with Present Executive". New York Times. June 19, 1904.
7. ^ "In All Parts of Jersey". Philadelphia Record. February 25, 1890. Retrieved September 14, 2012. "Robert T. Evard, one of Atlantic City's first Mayors, died on Sunday after short illness. He was 70 years of age."
8. ^ Staff. "Ex-Congressman John J. Gardner", The New Jersey Law Journal, Volume 44, p. 95. Accessed February 4, 2013. "While not a lawyer it was not his fault that he was not a member of the New Jersey Bar. This is to be said of Ex-Congressman John J. Gardner of, formerly, Atlantic City, who died on his farm at Indian Mills, Burlington county on Feb. 7th last, of heart disease."
9. ^ a b "Atlantic City Mayor Dies In Sanitarium. His Political Followers, Now Being Investigated, Stunned at the Unexpected News". New York Times. July 23, 1911. Retrieved October 4, 2011. "Franklin Pierce Stoy Had Ruled His City for 20 Years. Welcomed Many National Gatherings ..."
10. ^ a b David G. Schwartz. "The Dandy Mayor". New York Times. Archived from the original on July 21, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
11. ^ a b "Died". Time magazine. May 26, 1947. Archived from the original on August 28, 2009. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
12. ^ "Bacharach Slated To Succeed Ruffu. Jersey Utility Commissioner to Fill Unexpired Term of Late Atlantic City Mayor. Long Deadlock Is Broken. New Executive Is Expected to Reorganize the Government of Shore Resort". New York Times. July 7, 1930. Retrieved September 14, 2012. "Harry Bacharach, State Public Utility Commissioner and Mayor of Atlantic City from 1916 to 1920, will again act as the city's chief executive beginning Thursday. He will fill the unexpired term of the late Anthony M. Ruffu Jr., which ends in May, 1932. ..."
13. ^ "Mayor Bader Dies. Atlantic City Head. Succumbs to Appendicitis Early This Morning. Under Knife on Thursday. Elected For Eight Years. Former Member of University of Pennsylvania's Football Team. A Contractor for Many Years". New York Times. January 29, 1927. Retrieved August 8, 2012. "... He became Mayor of Atlantic City for the first time in 1920, after his election to the City Commission. His four colleagues chose him as their executive. ..."
14. ^ "Mayor Ruffu Killed With Three Others As Train Hits Auto". Associated Press in the New York Times. June 23, 1930. Retrieved September 14, 2012. "Mayor Anthony M. Ruffu Jr., Mayor of Atlantic City, two unidentified women, and a man believed to have been Assemblyman Anthony J. Siracusa, were killed when a train struck an automobile here early today. ..."
15. ^ "New Board Pledges Montclair Economy. Commissioners Installed There and in Atlantic City". New York Times. May 22, 1940. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
16. ^ Atlantic City Free Public Library FAQ Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
17. ^ "James L. Usry, the first Black mayor of Atlantic City, Succumbs At 79" Archived 2006-06-17 at the Wayback Machine
18. ^ "Mayoral Showdown: Interview with Lorenzo Langford" Archived 2007-01-07 at the Wayback Machine, Gros, Roger, Casino Connection, May 2005
19. ^ "And the newly sworn-in Atlantic City mayor is ... William 'Speedy' Marsh" Archived 2008-01-10 at the Wayback Machine, The Press of Atlantic City, October 10, 2007
20. ^ "New AC mayor promises stability", The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 21, 2007
21. ^ a b "Langford back as Atlantic City mayor"[permanent dead link], The Press of Atlantic City, November 5, 2008
22. ^ "Vote count appears to seal win for AC mayoral challenger Guardian", "Philadelphia Inquirer", December 1, 2014.
23. ^ "Atlantic City Mayor Gilliam resigns after guilty plea in federal court, Small to take over " The Press of Atlantic City, October 03, 2019.
24. ^ " Atlantic City Council votes Small, state 'won't miss a beat' with new mayor" The Press of Atlantic City, October 15, 2019.