As Mayor, Jim Whelan had an abysmal record of taxing and spending.  He raised property taxes by 33% and debt by 74%.

A Look At Jim Whelan’s Shameful Record:

1. As Mayor, Jim Whelan increased Atlantic City spending by $22 million.

2. When he entered office the tax rate in Atlantic City was $1.24. When he left it was $1.60. And that's with about a dozen casinos in his backyard paying taxes.

3. According to a report prepared by the State Department of Treasury back in 1996 during Whelan's administration, “Many see the Atlantic City local government as excessively over burdened with unnecessary personnel and programs that are not normally the responsibility of a municipality.” (New Jersey Department of Treasury, Local Government Budget Review of Atlantic City, March 1996)

4. When asked in 2000 why Whelan had to increase property taxes yet again, Whelan replied: "We're Out Of Smoke And Mirrors[.]" (Press of Atlantic City, January 6, 2000)

5. Moody’s blasted Whelan’s use of one-shot revenues and debt service restructuring to plug budget holes. (Moody’s Investors Services, Outlook of Atlantic City, July 22, 2003)

6. Whelan sold City property to pay the City’s water bill. That's like selling your garage to run the water. “Every time a toilet flushes at City Hall, the city MUA gets a little closer to acquiring another piece of the resort. Hard to believe. It's simple, really. Flush the toilet or turn the water on in a public building, and it goes on the city's water bill from the MUA. The city in turn totally ignores that water bill until it adds up to some number like, say, $200,000, the city's current bill. Then the MUA tries to collect by offering the city a compromise. They'll take a piece of city-owned land they need for a capital project in exchange for forgiving the bill.” (The Press of Atlantic City, February 3, 1995)

7. In 2000, Whelan had to borrow $12.3 Million to cover legal bills - a move so rare it required special state approval. (The Press of Atlantic City, January 7, 2000)

8. In the 1994 Budget, Whelan used $6 Million from the sale of the Atlantic City International Airport to cover the shortfall rather than capital improvements. (Press of Atlantic City, January 21, 1995)

9. Whelan relied on the airport sale again in 2000 to pay for his budgets. (Press of Atlantic City, January 9, 2000)

10. In The 1995 Budget, Whelan raided Atlantic City’s surplus to cover budget shortfalls -- but that still didn't stop Whelan from carrying through a 16-cent increase in 1995's local purpose tax. (Press of Atlantic City, January 26, 1996)