Council signs off on $450,000 micro‑grant program for small businesses

The City Council approved a resolution authorizing a $450,000 micro‑grant program for small businesses in Atlantic City.

Resolution 4‑70, read into the record as part of the consent and new business resolutions, establishes the micro‑grant program intended to provide small amounts of direct assistance to local small businesses. Council members and committee reports described the program as part of broader small‑business supports the administration has pursued, including a separate Michael Grant program referenced by the planning and development committee.

Why it matters: small businesses are a key employer and customer base in Atlantic City’s commercial corridors; micro‑grants aim to provide immediate capital for operating expenses, storefront upgrades or marketing to help sustain local enterprises.

The meeting packet and discussion did not specify the distribution criteria, grant amounts per recipient or exact funding source for the $450,000 appropriation; those details were not read into the record during the agenda roll call. A committee speaker previously urged council support for “the Michael Grant program for small businesses” as part of the administration’s economic development priorities.

The resolution was included among items read into the record and advanced without separate roll‑call discussion; council adopted the package of consent and new business resolutions as presented.

Follow up: the administration will need to publish program guidelines, eligibility criteria and how the $450,000 will be allocated (funding source and timeline) before grants are distributed; those specifics were not specified at the council meeting.