CAPE MAY CITY – City Manager Paul Dietrich says the city will try out digital beach tags for this summer season. “We are not doing away with the physical beach tags that some people collect as souvenirs,” Dietrich said, “we are exploring adding new options for visitors.”
Dietrich spoke at the Tuesday, March 19, meeting of the City Council.
The city will move cautiously as it evaluates digital tags. The plan, according to Mayor Zack Mullock, is to pick one category of tag, perhaps the three-day tag, and have a trial period to ensure that the service to beachgoers can be delivered while protecting the tag revenue from harm due to illegal sharing of a tag.
The sale of beach tags is a major revenue generator for the city and provides the bulk of the funding for its self-financing beach utility. In the budget adopted for 2023, the city anticipated $2.7 million in beach tag revenue. If 2022 is any indicator, the city budgets conservatively. In 2022 the city realized over $3 million in beach tag revenue.
Along with the trial run of digital tags this summer, the city will evaluate allowing credit card sales for tags as part of the same smartphone app.
Details will follow, Dietrich said. What he was after, and received, was an OK from the council so he could return at the next meeting with a bid process to select an appropriate app for the digital tag trial.
Among Cape May County municipalities, Sea Isle City has also announced plans for a digital beach tag option for the 2024 summer season.
