STRATHMERE, NJ — Strathmere, part of Upper Township, is one of the few free beaches in New Jersey. That could change as officials are weighing introducing beach tags.
Strathmere currently offers free parking and free beach access, which officials said at the most recent Upper Township Committee meeting is unusual in Cape May and Atlantic counties.
Residents questioned the beach tag proposal, with some asking for free or discounted beach tags. However, it's against New Jersey law to charge different prices for taxpayers and non-taxpayers.
“People in Ocean City, Stone Harbor, Avalon, Sea Isle, they all pay property tax and they all pay for beach tags,” Committeeman Tyler Casaccio said.
Officials said they studied whether parking meters made sense for Strathmere and concluded beach tags would be cheaper to implement.
“We 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,” said Casaccio.
The proposed tag could generate about $320,000 a year. A seasonal tag would cost $45.
Officials expect a vote in August.
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