For generations, Strathmere, removed from the bustle of Ocean City and the Wildwoods, has drawn families with its free beaches and quiet charm. This summer could be the last without fees to access the beaches, as local officials are considering a seasonal tag program to help fund beach maintenance.<\/p>\n
At Monday\u2019s Upper Township Committee meeting, officials outlined a proposal to bring beach tags to Strathmere, an unincorporated community and one of the shore\u2019s smallest towns. Under the preliminary plan, passes for the entire summer would cost $45, while daily and weekly tags would be listed at $10 and $20. To enforce the rule, two groups of tag checkers would patrol the beach, township officials said. The committee expects to hold a preliminary vote on the proposal in August.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re the only town in Cape May County and Atlantic County that offers free parking and free beach tags,\u201d Mayor Curtis Corson said Monday. Strathmere is one of just four Cape May County shore towns that do not require beach tags, along with North Wildwood, Wildwood and Wildwood Crest.<\/p>\n
The proposal was a contentious point at Monday\u2019s meeting, where residents questioned its benefits. Several argued that full-time residents should be exempt from the fees or acquire tags at a discount. Township officials noted that the state forbids towns from charging tourists more for tags. \u201cPeople in Ocean City, Stone Harbor, Avalon, Sea Isle \u2014 they all pay property taxes and they all pay for beach tags,\u201d Committeeman Tyler Casaccio said in response to a resident\u2019s disapproval.<\/p>\n
Corson suggested the rules could be changed in the New Jersey Legislature. However, such legislation could face legal challenges, as the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled in 1972 that municipalities cannot discriminate between residents and nonresidents in beach fees.<\/p>\n
The plan comes after Strathmere, Upper Township\u2019s lone oceanfront community, endured severe beach erosion that local officials described as the worst in recent years. Crews have finally begun repairing those beaches after federal funding cuts approved by Congress last year delayed replenishment projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe decided with all the costs the beach is incurring us that we were going to go with the beach tag method, rather than the parking method to incur some revenue to pay back for all the stuff we have to pay for the beach,\u201d Corson said. Beach tags aren\u2019t the only attempts Upper Township has made to bolster beach funding. In January, the township committee voted to use a fraction of cannabis sales revenue for its beach maintenance fund. Township officials estimated that licensed cannabis stores could generate about $70,000 annually for beach restoration. Beach tags, officials said, would generate far more money, with preliminary estimates projecting revenue of up to $340,000.<\/p>\n
Township officials argue that beach tags are the best alternative to parking fees. In an interview with NJ.com earlier this month, Corson said the township once explored installing parking meters in Strathmere, one of 17 shore towns where parking is free, to generate revenue. The township ultimately rejected the idea, concluding that the municipality lacks the resources to enforce it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For generations, Strathmere, removed from the bustle of Ocean City and the Wildwoods, has drawn families with its free beaches and quiet charm. This summer could be… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3108,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n