Times Are Hard! Atlantic City Council Gives Up City-Funded Cars

Reversing a long-standing perk of office, the City Council of Atlantic City voted Wednesday to end their full-time use of city cars.

With the city's budget being slashed and jobs being lost, the old practice of the part-time City Council having full-time use of city vehicles was becoming the subject of increased criticism by residents.

The council voted 7-0 with one abstention to order its fleet immediately returned to the lot.

According to Amy Rosenberg of the Philadelphia Inquirer, "the nine vehicles, a combination of Durangos, Impalas, and Explorers, will still be available to sign out for city business.

Councilman Marty Small said the move saves little, but said the gesture was still important.

“It’s always been a perk of being a council person in Atlantic City. Due to the turbulent financial times, we want to show a gesture: We’re sacrificing as well. I'll be blunt and honest: It saves nothing....People are just looking for different ways to save, they see us driving around and it becomes an issue,” he said."

Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian, who does not use a city car outside of work hours, has stopped the unrestricted use of 70 other city vehicles.

The savings may be small and the move mostly symbolic, but the culture of excess in Atlantic City has to stop and no more free cars seems like as good a place as any to start.