Mayors of Atlantic City, New Jersey

Atlantic City, New Jersey, was incorporated on May 1, 1854. It is governed within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the mayor–council system of municipal government (Plan D), implemented by direct petition effective as of July 1, 1982.^[2][3] The Atlantic City City Council is the governing body of Atlantic City. There are nine Council members, who are elected to serve for a term of four years, one from each of six wards and three serving at-large. The City Council exercises the legislative power of the municipality for the purpose of holding Council meetings to introduce ordinances and resolutions to regulate City government. In addition, Council members review budgets submitted by the Mayor; provide for an annual audit of the city's accounts and financial transactions; organize standing committees and hold public hearings to address important issues which impact Atlantic City.^[4] Former Mayor Bob Levy created the Atlantic City Ethics Board in 2007, but the Board was dissolved two years later by vote of the Atlantic City Council. Since its incorporation in 1854, the town has had 41 mayors.^[5][6]

Mayor of Atlantic City
Seal of the City of Atlantic City
Flag of the City of Atlantic City
Incumbent Marty Small Sr. since October 4, 2019 (2019-10-04)
Term length	Four years
Formation	May 1, 1854 (1854-05-01)
First holder	Chalkley Steelman Leeds
Salary	$103,000[1]

Mayors

#	Mayor	Term start	Term end	Terms		Party	Notes
1	Chalkley Steelman Leeds	May 1, 1854	1856	2		None	This was his first term.[7]
2	Richard Hackett	1856	1856	1⁄2		None
3	John George Washington Avery	1856	1857	1		None
4	Lewis Reed	1857	1861	4		None
5	James Harper	1861	1862	1		None
(1)	Chalkley Steelman Leeds	1862	1863	1		None	This was his second term.
6	Jacob Middleton	1863	1865	2		None
7	Robert T. Evard	1865	1866	1		Republican	[8]
8	David W. Belisle	1866	1868	2		Republican
9	Lemuel G. Eldridge	1868	1868	Partial		Republican
10	John James Gardner	1868	1872	4		Republican	[9]
11	Charles Souder	1872	1874	2		Republican
(10)	John James Gardner	1874	1876	2		Republican
12	Willard Wright	1876	1878	2		Democratic
13	John L. Bryant	1878	1879	1		Republican
(12)	Willard Wright	1879	1880	1		Democratic
14	Harry L. Slape	1880	1881	1		Republican
(12)	Willard Wright	1881	1882	1		Democratic
15	Charles Maxwell	1882	1885	3		Republican
16	Thomas C. Garrett	1885	1887	2		Republican
17	Samuel D. Hoffman	1887	1891	4		Republican
(12)	Willard Wright	1891	1894	3		Democratic
18	Franklin Pierce Stoy	1894	1897	3		Republican	(January 23, 1853 – July 22, 1911). He became a Councilman at Large of the local government in 1891 and, three years later, was elected chief executive. Known as the "Dandy Mayor,". He died in office in his second term of neuritis on July 22, 1911.[10][11]
19	Joseph Thompson	1897	1900	3		Democratic
(18)	Franklin Pierce Stoy †	1900	1911	3		Republican	He became a Councilman at Large of the local government in 1891 and, three years later, was elected chief executive. Known as the "Dandy Mayor,". He died in office in his second term of neuritis on July 22, 1911.[10][11]
20	George Carmany	1911	1912	Partial		Republican
21	Harry Bacharach[12]	1912	1912	1		Republican
22	William Riddle	1912	1916	1		Democratic
(21)	Harry Bacharach	1916	1920	1		Republican	[12][13]
23	Edward Lawrence Bader †	1920	1927	2		Republican	He died in office.[14]
24	Anthony Ruffu, Jr.	1927	1930	1		Republican	[15]
25	Joseph A. Paxson	1930	1930	Partial		Republican
(21)	Harry Bacharach	1930	1935	1		Republican
26	Charles D. White	1935	1940	1		Republican
27	Thomas D. Taggart, Jr.	1940	1944	1		Democratic	[16]
28	Joseph Altman †	1944	1967	6		Republican	He died in office. He served for 23 years. Joseph Altman is the longest-serving mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey.
29	Richard S. Jackson	1967	1969	Partial		Republican
30	William Thomas Somers	1969	1972	1		Democratic
31	Joseph Bradway, Jr.	1972	1976	1		Republican
32	Joseph Lazarow	1976	1982	1 1⁄2		Republican	[17]
33	Michael J. Matthews	1982	1984	1⁄2		Democratic
34	James Leroy Usry	1984	1990	1 1⁄2		Republican	First African-American Mayor [18]
35	Jim Whelan	1990	2002	3		Democratic
36	Lorenzo Langford	2002	2005	1		Democratic	[19]
37	Robert Levy	2006	2007	Partial		Democratic	[20]
38	Scott Evans	2007	2008	Partial		Democratic	[21]
(36)	Lorenzo Langford[22]	2008	2013	1 1⁄2		Democratic	[22]
39	Don Guardian	2014	2017	1		Republican	[23]
40	Frank Gilliam	2018	2019	Partial		Democratic	Gilliam resigned as mayor on October 3, 2019, following pleading guilty to wire fraud earlier that day in Federal Court [24]
41	Marty Small Sr.	2019	Present	1 1⁄2		Democratic	Served as Acting Mayor for an unexpired term ending on December 31, 2020. Reelected.[25]

References

1. Perry, Wayne (2016-04-26). "Atlantic City council says no to 20 percent pay cut of own salaries". themorningcall.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 2018-05-08.
2. 2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 12.
3. "The Faulkner Act: New Jersey's Optional Municipal Charter Law" Archived October 12, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey State League of Municipalities, July 2007. Accessed October 22, 2013.
4. Elected Officials Archived 2016-11-17 at the Wayback Machine, Atlantic City. Accessed November 19, 2016.
5. "Mayors of Atlantic City, New Jersey". Atlantic City, New Jersey. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
6. John F. Hall. The Daily Union History of Atlantic City and County, New Jersey. p. 159.
7. "Atlantic City Jubilee Ends. First Mayor Marches in a Procession with Present Executive". New York Times. June 19, 1904.
8. "In All Parts of Jersey". Philadelphia Record. February 25, 1890. Retrieved 2012-09-14. Robert T. Evard, one of Atlantic City's first Mayors, died on Sunday after short illness. He was 70 years of age.
9. Staff. "Ex-Congressman John J. Gardner", The New Jersey Law Journal, Volume 44, p. 95. Accessed February 4, 2013. "While not a lawyer it was not his fault that he was not a member of the New Jersey Bar. This is to be said of Ex-Congressman John J. Gardner of, formerly, Atlantic City, who died on his farm at Indian Mills, Burlington county on Feb. 7th last, of heart disease."
10. "Atlantic City Mayor Dies In Sanitarium. His Political Followers, Now Being Investigated, Stunned at the Unexpected News". New York Times. July 23, 1911. Retrieved 2011-10-04. Franklin Pierce Stoy Had Ruled His City for 20 Years. Welcomed Many National Gatherings ...
11. David G. Schwartz. "The Dandy Mayor". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2012-07-21. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
12. "Died". Time magazine. May 26, 1947. Archived from the original on August 28, 2009. Retrieved 2011-09-30.
13. "Bacharach Slated To Succeed Ruffu. Jersey Utility Commissioner to Fill Unexpired Term of Late Atlantic City Mayor. Long Deadlock Is Broken. New Executive Is Expected to Reorganize the Government of Shore Resort". New York Times. July 7, 1930. Retrieved 2012-09-14. Harry Bacharach, State Public Utility Commissioner and Mayor of Atlantic City from 1916 to 1920, will again act as the city's chief executive beginning Thursday. He will fill the unexpired term of the late Anthony M. Ruffu Jr., which ends in May, 1932. ...
14. "Mayor Bader Dies. Atlantic City Head. Succumbs to Appendicitis Early This Morning. Under Knife on Thursday. Elected For Eight Years. Former Member of University of Pennsylvania's Football Team. A Contractor for Many Years". New York Times. January 29, 1927. Retrieved 2012-08-08. ... He became Mayor of Atlantic City for the first time in 1920, after his election to the City Commission. His four colleagues chose him as their executive. ...
15. "Mayor Ruffu Killed With Three Others As Train Hits Auto". Associated Press in the New York Times. June 23, 1930. Retrieved 2012-09-14. Mayor Anthony M. Ruffu Jr., Mayor of Atlantic City, two unidentified women, and a man believed to have been Assemblyman Anthony J. Siracusa, were killed when a train struck an automobile here early today. ...
16. "New Board Pledges Montclair Economy. Commissioners Installed There and in Atlantic City". New York Times. May 22, 1940. Retrieved 2012-09-14.
17. Atlantic City Free Public Library FAQ Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
18. "James L. Usry, the first Black mayor of Atlantic City, Succumbs At 79" Archived 2006-06-17 at the Wayback Machine
19. "Mayoral Showdown: Interview with Lorenzo Langford" Archived 2007-01-07 at the Wayback Machine, Gros, Roger, Casino Connection, May 2005
20. "And the newly sworn-in Atlantic City mayor is ... William 'Speedy' Marsh" Archived 2008-01-10 at the Wayback Machine, The Press of Atlantic City, October 10, 2007
21. "New AC mayor promises stability", The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 21, 2007
22. "Langford back as Atlantic City mayor"^{[permanent dead link]}, The Press of Atlantic City, November 5, 2008
23. "Vote count appears to seal win for AC mayoral challenger Guardian", "Philadelphia Inquirer", December 1, 2014.
24. "Atlantic City Mayor Gilliam resigns after guilty plea in federal court, Small to take over " The Press of Atlantic City, October 03, 2019.
25. " Atlantic City Council votes Small, state 'won't miss a beat' with new mayor" The Press of Atlantic City, October 15, 2019.