Feb. 08--ATLANTIC CITY -- City Council's vote today could clear the way to fill future positions in the police and fire departments from a list of local candidates rather than those laid off throughout the state.
The city was recently told that -- because it is under state oversight -- it would have to fill three current police positions from the list of officers laid off statewide. Since all of Atlantic County's officers are re-employed, that means no locals are on the list of about 472 candidates.
But the 2012 memorandum of understanding with the state allows the city to make these hires from either list. That agreement is set for a vote today. The 5 p.m. meeting is open to the public.
Councilman Marty Small said he would agree to the memorandum only if the city is hiring from the list of local candidates. The top three are military veterans.
"In no way, shape or form will I agree if we're not taking on Atlantic City residents," Small said.
The state's new requirement -- which was not in place when the city recently hired 20 firefighters through a federal grant -- is "the most ridiculous thing I ever heard," Councilman George Tibbitt said.
Aside from going outside the city and county, there is also the worry that the officers would be hired but then return to their original municipality when the towns have the money to hire again.
"Then we're going to have the same problem filling spots," Tibbitt said.
Mayor Lorenzo Langford had the city's new public safety director looking into the issue, but no formal decision had been made Tuesday.
Langford previously said he would fight the second year of oversight, but Tibbitt said it seems now that the city and state are "on the same page," and believes the memorandum will pass, and get the mayor's signature.
"The state and the administration worked this out to get it to where it is," he said. "I fully support our administration and the direction it's been going. ... Hopefully, this will be the last year that we'll be dealing with the state."
Contact Lynda Cohen:
609-272-7257
Copyright 2012 - The Press of Atlantic City, Pleasantville, N.J.
