At the conclusion of each year, City of Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Sr. asks his department directors to review the goals set at the beginning of the year and publicly account for which objectives were achieved and which were not. These goals are established ahead of Mayor Small’s annual State of the City address to promote transparency and accountability. In 2025, the Small Administration set a total of 139 goals, completing 118 of them for an 85 percent completion rate.
“The Small Administration sets ambitious goals each year for our leadership, and we hold ourselves publicly accountable by reflecting on them at year’s end,” said Mayor Small. “Despite the distractions we faced this year, this Year-End Review makes clear that we stayed focused and delivered meaningful results. While our overall completion percentage is lower than in past years, we accomplished more total goals than ever before under my watch because we challenged ourselves with a larger and more ambitious agenda. The professionalism, dedication, and skill of our department leaders were on full display, and I am confident this Administration will continue moving the great City of Atlantic City to new heights in 2026.”
2025 Small Administration Accomplishment Highlights
Clean and Safe
The Atlantic City Police Department enhanced patrols along Atlantic Avenue, Pacific Avenue, and Renaissance Plaza, supported in part by a $3 million CRDA grant. The department also introduced new optimized handguns for all officers and added five Polaris vehicles for beach and Boardwalk patrols. The Atlantic City Fire Department expanded firefighter training throughout the year and acquired a new Ladder truck and Mini Pumper, both expected to enter service soon. The Department of Public Works upgraded and replaced its snow emergency fleet and installed visually impaired signage in front of all Atlantic City elementary schools to improve student safety.
The City’s Information Technology Office redesigned systems and replaced hardware to strengthen cybersecurity protections. In addition, a new ordinance now allows the Department of Licensing and Inspections to require property owners and landlords to remove low-voltage wires and satellite dishes from buildings.
Economic and Residential Development
The City of Atlantic City launched its first-ever “Keep It Local” campaign to support and promote local businesses. The Small Business Academy again provided entrepreneurs with the tools needed to successfully own and operate small businesses. The city also hosted its first Black Business Expo and created a Black Business Directory. In total, $500,000 in grant funding was allocated to Atlantic City’s small business community. The Planning and Development Department helped secure more than 200 new residential developments, while the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Office contributed an additional $469,000 to the Atlantic City First-Time Homebuyer Lottery Program. Food trucks are now permitted at Gardner’s Basin and O’Donnell Memorial Park.
Fiscal Responsibility
In 2025, Atlantic City announced its sixth consecutive tax decrease while continuing to generate revenue through aggressive and strategic investments. The City’s Solicitor’s Office once again protected taxpayer assets by saving significant funds through successful litigation and liability defense efforts. The City remains optimistic about potential additional credit rating upgrades before year’s end.
Community
The City’s Public Information Office successfully launched the Great Day Atlantic City platform at the start of the year and continued to grow the website throughout 2025 as a central hub for city news, events, and resources for living, working, and investing in Atlantic City. The Health and Human Services Department expanded its already robust lineup of free programs for Atlantic City youth and seniors. The Department’s Anti-Violence Division hosted the City’s first Peace Conference, drawing attendees from across the country. Atlantic City Municipal Court expanded its community outreach by launching a large-scale “Put Your Life Back on Track” event, during which hundreds of bench warrants were lifted.
The full list of completed and unmet goals is available at www.acnj.gov and is included in this email. Mayor Small will deliver his 2026 State of the City Address on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at the Golden Nugget Atlantic City.
