Efforts Are On To Block Sale Of Atlantic City Assets By NJ
ATLANTIC CITY, NJ (CBS) -- The state of New Jersey could make decisions on the future of major Atlantic City assets as soon as next week, and locals are doing all they can to convince the Christie Administration not to sell the city's water company.
The law allowing a state takeover of the town's operations contained a one year moratorium on selling assets like the MUA and Bader Field. That moratorium expires this weekend.
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Residents are spreading petitions across town calling for a non-binding referendum, at least on the sale of the water company. Charles Goodman with the local NAACP is among them, and suggests this is one way to buy time.
"Christie will be out of there come January and it could be trying to start a new pathway to the success of Atlantic City," Goodman told KYW Newsradio.
A lawsuit is also possible to try to block a sale.
Local Assemblyman Chris Brown has written a letter to Jeff Chiesa, who's overseeing the state takeover, seeking direct answers about the state's intentions.
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"What has been most important to me is that we protect public assets to make sure that no back room deals are cut to benefit political insiders and special interests at the expense of hard working middle class families," Brown said.
Tammori Petty, a spokeswoman for the Department of Community Affairs, provided KYW Newsradio with an e-mail response saying there have been "no discussions whatsoever" regarding privatization of the MUA, which owns the water plant in Atlantic City. That would be in accord with the moratorium.
But going forward, she adds, "To date, we have taken no action on the MUA, no meetings are scheduled at this time, and we have reached no conclusion as to the best way for the MUA to serve the public in the future."
