ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — The CEO of Hard Rock International says Atlantic City “is going in the wrong direction” and is in worse shape than when the global entertainment company bought its casino there nearly three years ago. Speaking after an employee meeting Thursday where Hard Rock handed out bonuses totaling $2 million to nearly 2,900 full-time employees, Jim Allen said the company is willing to be part of the solution in Atlantic City, but is not encouraged by recent developments. He said Hard Rock is not part of the move to change Atlantic City's form of government being pushed by the owner of Resorts casino, the head of the city's main casino workers union and a retired state senator, “but we're becoming more aware of it as days go by.”That plan, to be voted on in a March 31 special election, would replace an elected mayor with an appointed city manager, and would shrink the City Council from nine members to five.

Source: International New York Times January 16, 2020 16:41 UTC