Atlantic City Mayor Is Acting Small With Political Retaliation

This is as thinly disguised as political retaliation gets.

Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small is scheming with Atlantic City Council to try and remove a perceived political enemy from a local board.

This is the worst kind of politics. Revenge politics.

It’s an easy game of connect the dots. Here’s the story.

John Devlin is a retired Atlantic City Police Officer, long time Atlantic City Board of Education President and Chairman of the Atlantic City Municipal Utilities Authority.

Devlin openly opposed the recent appointment of Dr. La’Quetta Small (Mayor Small’s wife) to be the Atlantic City Superintendent of Public Schools.

NOTE: Full disclosure, I publicly supported Dr. Small’s promotion to become Atlantic City Superintendent of Public Schools. Dr. Small is now the Superintendent.

Now, there is a formal effort to remove Devlin from the Atlantic City MUA.

Formal action to remove Devlin could take place as early as this Friday, January 7, 2022.

Here is a look at the official public notice:

NOTICE OF SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING

TAKE NOTICE that pursuant to the Open Public Meetings Act N.J.S.A. 10-:4-6 et seq., and in accordance with the authority vested by N.J.S.A. 40:69A-179, there will be a SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING of the City Council of the City of Atlantic City on FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2022 at 5:00pm, conducted by live streaming via the internet at: www.cityofatlanticcity.org. Click the “Council Meeting Stream” link. The purpose of this meeting is to consider the following:

Pursuant to N.J.S.A 40:14B-16, the Council of Atlantic City will entertain a resolution to hear the matter pertaining to the establishment of cause to remove Board Chairman John Devlin from the Municipal Utilities Authority for inefficiency, neglect of duties or misconduct in office.

FORMAL ACTION MAY BE TAKEN

Paula Geletei, MMC, CPM

City Clerk

This is a very bad idea and it reflects poorly on Marty Small.

If it looks small, petty and politically vindictive, that’s because it is small, petty and politically vindictive.

Devlin brings a lot of experience to the table. His colleagues at the Atlantic City MUA have seen fit to vote Devlin as their Chairman.

Well placed Atlantic City sources have also confirmed to me that Devlin is presently conducting an internal investigation of the Atlantic City MUA.

There is no legitimate reason to short circuit Devlin’s term of office before it expires.

This is a very small and misguided act by Marty Small.

John Devlin Facebook photo.

John Devlin is also a United States Marine.

Yes, Marty Small is messing with a Marine.