Senator warns Atlantic City takeover provisions go too far; Senate tables proposed changes

Senator Paulastina (as identified in the transcript) spent several minutes urging colleagues to remove two provisions recently added to S4845 that would assign a master developer role over the Tourism District and reorganize municipal planning and zoning in Atlantic City. "By and large, it has worked well from the standpoint of stabilizing the city's finances," Paulastina said, but argued the new developer authority and board realignment "go too far" and that local elected officials had not been engaged.

The concerns centered on what Paulastina described as a new master‑developer power covering prime real estate in the Tourism District, including Bader Field, and language that would realign municipal planning and zoning boards without clear local input. He said local officials and county leaders oppose the added provisions and urged the Senate to return the bill to second reading for amendment.

Majority Leader Geordie Ruiz moved to table the motion to return the bill for amendment. The motion to table passed by machine tally, 25 in favor and 11 opposed, preventing immediate amendment on the floor. Later in the session the bill was moved and reported passed according to the recorded proceedings.

Why it matters: S4845 extends the Municipal Stabilization and Recovery Act and governs the state’s supervisory relationship with Atlantic City. Changes that alter planning or vest development authority at the state level would shift local land‑use control and could affect redevelopment projects and private investment in the city.

What’s next: The transcript records the motion to table and subsequent passage activity on the bill; the floor calendar posted by the Senate sets future committee and floor dates and the president noted the next sessions in early January.