Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Search

Freeholders Oppose Bills Targeting Beach Fees

 

By Al Campbell

CREST HAVEN – Freeholders drew a line in the sand over two state Senate bills that would block beach fees in coastal towns that accept government-funded beach restoration funds. If enacted, the bills would affect Cape May Point, Cape May, Stone Harbor, Avalon, Sea Isle City and Ocean City, since they impose beach fees.
The Nov. 25 action, which drew no comment from any freeholder, opposes S2368, sponsored in the last session by Sen. Michael J. Doherty (R-23rd) and Sen. Stephen M. Sweeney (D-3rd), and S648, sponsored in the current session by Doherty.
The board “respectfully requests that S2368 be immediately removed from consideration…” It is against S648 because it blocks beach fees from municipalities accepting government-funded beach replenishment.
Doherty represents Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren counties. Sweeney represents Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties. None of those counties front on the Atlantic Ocean.
According to the resolution, “the introduction of revised measure (S648) with the same intent is currently pending before the Legislature that would “block” beach fees in shore communities accepting those government funds for beach replenishment.
Those towns would also be required to provide free restroom access for beachgoers from Memorial Day to Labor Day Weekend.
To make up for lost revenue from beach fees, the legislation calls on the Legislature to annually appropriate 2 percent of taxable receipts collected under sales and use tax in shore municipalities back to those municipalities.
According to the newest proposal, S648, its purpose is twofold: open beaches that are supported by public funding to the public and “supplant shore municipalities beach revenue streams with sales and use tax revenue attributable to shore-related commerce.”
Notes the resolution, “While S648 doesn’t outright impose a state takeover of our beaches, it would undercut municipalities and place the state in firm control of funding beach maintenance.
“Aside from the complications generally involved by asserting state control over anything, there’s another gaping pitfall in the legislation that can’t be simply dismissed or even understated. As provided under New Jersey’s Constitution, the state budget supersedes statutory law with respect to funding services and programs. So whenever 2 percent sales tax collection provision required under S648 becomes an obstacle in preparing the state budget, that funding would be a ripe target for being cut or dedicated for other than intended uses to close budget holes.”
“There is precedence for this whereby in a shrewd and politically calculated maneuver, the state decided to raid the Shore Protection Fund for millions of dollars to provide funding for state parks as part of the FY 2009 state budget deliberations. Regrettably, protecting our coastline seemed a lesser priority. If anything, the widespread devastation caused by Sandy violently demonstrated the critical importance of beach replenishment,” the resolution continued.
The board also believes the bill “sets the stage for beach replenishment funding to become a political football every year during the budget process which would be irresponsible and, ultimately, self-defeating including from an economic standpoint.”
The board noted there are numerous other instances where federal and state funding is received for capital projects and user fees are charged including the Garden State Parkway, NJ Transit and the state park system.
The board feels the bill “singles out shore municipalities for a special, unique “tax” creating an unequal class of citizens in contradiction to the precepts of the state and federal constitutions.

Spout Off

Wildwood – So Liberals here on spout off, here's a REAL question for you.
Do you think it's appropriate for BLM to call for "Burning down the city" and "Black Vigilantes" because…

Read More

North Cape May – Let's put out some facts about EV's and the EV school bus's that Biden was promoting. An EV School bus cost $375,000. Per Bus. The same Diesel Bus is $187,000. Now, guess what…?…

Read More

Sea Isle City – The amount of people who do not stop for pedestrians is astounding. I was halfway across in a marked crosswalk and almost got run over on Landis Ave.

Read More

Most Read

Print Editions

Recommended Articles

Skip to content