Belmar to discuss $10 hike in cost of seasonal beach badges

Belmar to discuss $10 hike in cost of seasonal beach badges

By ERIK LARSEN
COASTAL MONMOUTH BUREAU

A $10 increase in the cost of a seasonal beach badge, which if approved would raise the price to $60 this summer, is expected to be discussed in the agenda session of Wednesday's Borough Council meeting.

Borough Administrator Robbin D. Kirk said seasonal badges have been cutting into the sales of the $7 daily badge. The seasonal badge is more economical for any person who intends to make more than seven trips to the Belmar beach in a single summer.

"What we are finding is that with a lower priced seasonal badge, we are selling less dailies, which is really where the majority of your money comes from on the beach,'' Kirk said.

Council President Meredith Brennan said Mayor Kenneth E. Pringle's administration wants to increase the revenue in order to fund nighttime attendants at boardwalk lavatories, while raising wages and salaries for beachfront staff.

"We decided in the agenda session to raise our seasonal beach badge fee from $50 to $60,'' Brennan said at the April 9 council meeting. "The senior badge and the handicapped badge remains at $15 (for the season). We are still the lowest or as low as anyone along this whole strip. And it will actually help offset the cost of some of the night attendants and some of the other things we want to do.''

But the council decided to review its decision after a chorus of residents -- who stand to be perhaps the most impacted by the increase -- denounced the proposal.

"That's not fair to the young people,'' complained Connie Dellaportas of Main Street. "We are penalizing those young people. Let's stop.''

"I can understand your resentment to a point,'' said Councilwoman Claire Deicke. "At the same time, we are among the lowest (in fees) and we do want to maintain the beach to the best of our ability and everything goes up, as you know.''

Belmar is sensitive to such criticism. In 1989, the state Public Advocate sued Belmar over its daily beach badge fees, which were as high as $8 in the late 1980s. Adjusted for inflation, that would be more than $14 today, according to the Consumer Price Index.

The fees were struck down. The court's most significant ruling, that a town could not use beach badge revenue to offset property taxes -- which Belmar was doing in the 1980s -- and that a town had to create a dedicated beachfront utility fund for the revenue, had major consequences up and down the Jersey Shore.

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