Efforts by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie were resisted at every point by then-Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford. The feud took on national proportions during the last presidential campaign, but Langford’s stance never wavered.
The African-American mayor was serving his third term as mayor when an unlikely challenger arose, Don Guardian, the executive director of the city’s Special Improvement District, which kept streets clean and information available in the city’s tourism district. The SID is now part of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, the agency charged by Christie with reviving the city.
Guardian’s chances seemed slim at the time of his announcement. He’s white, a Republican and gay in a city dominated by African Americans and Democrats. But disenchantment with Langford in all areas of the community was widespread. Guardian put together a powerful organization that encompassed all demographics, races and religions, and pulled the upset by 300 votes.
Guardian has a tough task ahead of him, however. The casino industry has successfully appealed property evaluations in light of the slump in the gaming industry and subsequent sales of casino properties at bargain prices. At the same time, the city has increased taxes on residents, who now bear the brunt of the massive city budget.
“The first couple years are going to be tough,” he told the Associated Press. “We’re going to be trimming the budget and looking for additional funding from the state and federal governments to help us.”
Guardian plans to work closely with Christie to implement the governor’s vision for the city.
He recognizes that the heyday of the casino industry for the city is over. He believes he can work with the casinos rather than having to resort to lawsuits.
“For gaming, the days of monopoly are gone; that’s something we understand,” Guardian said. “Our plan is to help them by running an efficient government and providing services that are second to none. There is no reason for casinos to be filing tax appeals and taking us to court. We can all sit down at the same table. We have to find a fair and equitable way for the casinos to pay taxes.”
