GOP Assemblyman Brown announces reelection bid

ATLANTIC CITY - In what is expected to be one of the most hotly contested and expensive legislative races in the state this year, Republican Assemblyman Chris A. Brown announced his reelection campaign Saturday alongside Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian.

The sprawling Second District includes Atlantic City, which is in the midst of an economic meltdown after four casinos closed last year, taking with them 8,000 jobs. The resort is desperately seeking other revenue sources to keep municipal services and city government running. The state installed an emergency management team last month to come up with a plan.

"This is a make-or-break moment for our middle-class families, because what's at stake is whether this will be a county where working families can live the American dream of earning a fair wage, going to the doctor if they are sick, paying for their kids' education, owning a home, and retiring someday," Brown said. He made the announcement at the Irish Pub at St. James Place and the Boardwalk, with Guardian looking on.

Brown, 50, a lawyer who lives in Ventnor, is seeking his third term. Either Will Pauls or John Risley, both Atlantic County freeholders, will run on the ticket with him. The two men are competing for the Atlantic County Republican nomination for the General Assembly.

Atlantic County Republicans will hold their convention March 21 to choose a nominee to run with Brown.

Whoever is chosen will go head to head against incumbent Democrat Vincent Mazzeo and the winner of the Democratic nomination. The filing deadline for Assembly candidates is March 30.

Brown and Mazzeo have put forth competing plans on how to remedy Atlantic City's spiraling property taxes, and they have exchanged barbs in recent months over whose plan was better and less crippling to the middle class.

Mazzeo's plan is identical to legislation cosponsored by Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) and State Sen. Jim Whelan (D., Atlantic) - a five-bill package known as the Casino Property Taxation Stabilization Act.

To the ire of Democrats, Brown presented a rival recovery plan that he is encouraging Republicans in Atlantic County and Trenton to support.

The Democrats' recovery package would exempt casinos from taxes under a payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) program. The eight casinos would collectively pay $150 million a year for the first two years, then $120 million a year for the next 13 years.

Brown's plan, which includes no PILOT program for casinos, calls for a five-year property-tax freeze.

Guardian, although he has endorsed the Democrats' plan, on Saturday supported Brown's reelection bid.

"Chris Brown is fighting for the people of Atlantic City and for Atlantic County," he said.

With a downsized casino industry, Atlantic City is contributing less to county taxes - forcing the 22 other municipalities to shoulder a larger share - and raising property taxes.

"We are all waiting to see what happens with Atlantic City before we can set our own budgets," Buena Vista Township Mayor Chuck Chiarello said last week.

Atlantic City's fiscal crisis has led Gov. Christie to hold multiple-day summits there with invited stakeholders, including Whelan and Sweeney. The aim is to generate ideas about how to diversify the city's ailing economy.

Last month, Christie installed Kevin Lavin as emergency manager and Kevyn Orr as his special counsel to come up with a financial road map.

They are to present their findings at the end of March. Among them will be which of the competing legislative measures, if any, should be chosen to help save Atlantic City.