By: Follow South Jersey Staff
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Area officials marked merger of the City of Atlantic City and the City of Pleasantville municipal courts with a ribbon cutting ceremony at the newly-formed Atlantic City Joint Municipal Court at the Clayton G. Graham Public Safety Building in Atlantic City on August 21.
The courts officially merged on January 1, 2024 with the goal of enhancing judicial services and accessibility in each community.
“Given the close proximity and strong relationships of our two cities, this was not only sensible, but necessary for our communities,” Atlantic City Joint Municipal Court Director Gina Holmes said in a press release from the City of Atlantic City. “This merger aligns with the New Jersey Judiciary’s goals of enhancing efficiencies and achieving cost savings for our taxpayers, and more effectively meeting the needs of the public. We thank Mayor Small and Mayor Ward for embracing the opportunity for our cities to come together.”
Also at the ceremony were City of Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Sr., City of Pleasantville Mayor Judy Ward, City of Atlantic City Council President Aaron ‘Sporty’ Randolph, Atlantic County Superior Court-Vicinage 1 Judge Michael J. Blee, Chief Municipal Court Judge Billie J. Moore, Atlantic City Municipal Court Judge Henry L. Warner, City of Atlantic City Business Administrator Anthony Swan, Deputy Municipal Court Administrator Cotteth Stafford, along with court staff.
“Atlantic City and Pleasantville have a lot of history and I’m just happy we were able to complete this merger,” said Atlantic City Mayor Small. “Partnerships are the foundation of the Small administration, and this is another example of coming together for a common cause. I strive to provide a comfortable workspace for my employees that we can all be proud of so the courts are just the start, expect renovations in the entire Public Safety Building next.”
“Pleasantville and Atlantic City always interact with one another, which is how Mayor Small and I started the talks of merging, then everything fell into place, so here we are,” said Pleasantville Mayor Ward. “This was a financial burden on us that we no longer have to worry about, so we extend our gratitude to everyone involved in merging the courts. The Pleasantville employees are very happy in Atlantic City.”
Anyone having questions about the Atlantic City Joint Municipal Court can be directed to the court office at 609-347-5560.
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