How CRDA Spends Millions. Non-Casino Atlantic City Residents Get Squat.

LISTEN TO WPG 1450am AUDIO CLIPS

Listen to Exec Director of CRDA, Matt Doherty. Learn just how much casino tax money he get’s to spend. And where he gets to spend it.

See how little of it, directly benefits Atlantic City residents. WPG 1450am Radio’s Hurley allowed Doherty to spill the financial beans. Well, at least some of them.

LISTEN: WPG Radio’s Hurley & CRDA’s Doherty.

Matt Doherty is the latest Executive Director of CRDA, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority. Primary objective: Help Atlantic City residents. All of them. Not just casinos and convention centers.

Vacant properties not paying taxes on Atlantic City beach blocks. Mayor Small has NO control over this critical revenue generator for Atlantic City. CRDA controls the Zoning & Planning board.

CRDA has full control over very valuable, Atlantic City Tourism District. That includes Bader Field too.

Stockton University controls most neighborhoods surrounding their AC campus.

What does AC Mayor Marty Small control? Nothing, really. Not even the smaller neighborhoods.

‘CRDA seemed to be a very secretive organization’

Matt Doherty of CRDA

Definition of stupid: Current AC zoning says single-family homes are prohibited on Atlantic City beach blocks. CRDA prayed for big developers that never came. CRDA Zoning Czar Landgraf forced to admit he was wrong. Took too long to fix the problem.

Worth the CRDA investment?

Doherty says 99% of AC Luxury Tax goes to the ‘Meet AC‘ organization. This marketing group primarily works to benefit casinos and the State of NJ. Local residents see little to no benefit from Meet AC, or those Luxury Tax dollars.

CRDA land-banking valuable parcels of beachfront properties in Atlantic City.

CRDA land-banking. Keeping properties off the tax roles. Harmful to AC taxpayers.

CRDA land-banking properties. About 300 CRDA controlled parcels are not paying taxes. Will Mayor Small force zoning Czar Landgraf to sell off properties? Not likely.

What are IAT’s? Investment Alternative Tax.

CRDA raises money from the following Atlantic City transactions:

  • Luxury tax. A cut of booze, concert tickets, hotel rooms.
  • Parking tax. That’s alot of cars. Some paying upwards of $30 to park
  • Hotel tax. Money from each hotel room
  • ERD’s;  Entertainment Retail District. It’s a refund on sales tax paid. What this really means: More money for CRDA to spend….and a sweet refund for casinos. A $5 million split between CRDA and the individual casino property.

Luxury Tax must be used to pay down city debt, make capital improvements to Boardwalk Hall & Convention Center, and marketing of Casinos and Tourism District.

FACT: CRDA once gave money to the Yogi Bera Museum, on the campus of Montclair State University in Little Falls, New Jersey. It serves to honor the career of Yogi Berra, who played for the New York Yankees.

Pacific Ave. Hi tech PAN ZOOM TILT cameras will soon be installed. Just like on the Boardwalk. ACPD will be able to zoom in and monitor thugs, zombies, ho’s, drug deals and Tennessee Ave drive-bys in HD. Criminals beware.

Boardwalk Hall vs Casinos, Fighting over performers and acts.

Some criticize CRDA’s efforts to bring big acts ( ex: Celine Deon ) to Atlantic City. Casinos don’t want competition from the city. Is CRDA competing with private sector?

DOHERTY: Boardwalk Hall has a capacity far exceeding any other venue in Atlantic City. Because we own and operate Boardwalk Hall, we have to generate as much money as possible to defray the costs.

Read more by Roger Gros from Global Gaming Magazine

Boardwalk Hall sits empty far too often, even though CRDA keeps pouring money into it.

Bathroom upgrades on Atlantic City Boardwalk.

CRDA exec Matt Doherty says Boardwalk toilet seats are key to an Atlantic City come-back. SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIOR ALERT: No word yet on transgender accommodations.

Jersey Shore home values. Atlantic City values are still relatively weak. Much can be blamed on crime, too many social services, and harmful zoning laws that only favor casinos.

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