SEA ISLE CITY – Mayor Leonard Desiderio, saying that “the season” is almost here and that the city is “strong as ever,” spoke of his town as a “special place” during his annual State of the City address to the City Council on March 11.

Desiderio’s first focus on the year just past was on the long-awaited community center that is rising on the grounds of the old Sea Isle school. He said the project is on schedule and within budget, with expectations of a grand opening in the fall.

The mayor next spoke of the 50-year agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers that resulted in the third cycle of beach replenishment in 2024. The effort provides greater protection of lives and property as it restores beaches for enjoyment and tourism, he said.

Desiderio noted the completion in 2024 of the new dog park supported by Cape May County open space grants.

The city’s promenade came in for work last year, including improved accessibility for those with special needs, along with state grant funding that will allow for structural work beginning this fall.

Desiderio also cited the 2025 capital plan, which included a tactical pumper for the Fire Department and a surf rake for Public Works, with both items on the agenda of the council March 11.

The mayor said the budget he has yet to propose to the council will include a 1.8-cent tax rate increase. This follows a 4.3-cent increase in 2024 that he said was a response to inflationary pressures and a need for greater funding for first responders.

Desiderio reminded the public that the city’s surplus had grown to more than $8 million, which he declared was appropriate for a general fund budget of just over $30 million in 2024. He also noted the city’s AA bond rating.

The mayor pointed to 2025 as the 12th year in a row in which there will be no increase in water/sewer rates.

He also reminded the public of the city’s level 3 rating with FEMA’s community rating system, which earns residents a 35% discount on flood insurance premiums. Only Sea Isle and Avalon enjoy that high a rating level in Cape May County.

He mentioned recent shared services agreements, for county 911 dispatch service and municipal court services with Dennis Township.

Work on road and drainage infrastructure continues, Desiderio said, including the design of a new pump station in the area of the new community center.

The address served as a vehicle to announce the start of the 10-year-cycle master plan reexamination, which he called “writing the next chapter” in the city’s “great story.”

Desiderio has been the city’s mayor since 1993.

Contact the reporter, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.