Trump talks to reopen casino in Atlantic City

City Council is expected to vote soon on a resolution to reopen the city’s negotiations with Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc., the latest attempt to decrease a USD 34 million tax appeal settlement the mayor labels as a bad deal.

Newly sworn-in City Councilman Steven Moore, who was not yet on council in November when the settlement was approved, said that he is sponsoring the measure to ensure that taxpayer money is not misspent.

The city’s settlement of Trump’s 19 tax-appeal cases consists of USD 22 million in tax credits over the course of six years and USD 12 million in cash, which the city already paid in December.

The resolution comes shortly after Mayor Scott Evans’ pledge to find a legal way to reopen the case and renegotiate the settlement. Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson made an unsuccessful bid to intervene in the settlement in late December after he learned the county would be charged USD 5 million of the USD 34 million.

City Council approved the settlement November 1, when William ’Speedy’ Marsh was both acting mayor and president of council.