Beach Tag Prices Are Increasing In Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, NJ — Vacationing just got slightly more expensive. The Ocean City Council voted 7-0 at the Oct. 20 meeting to increase beach tag fees.

Under the ordinance, seasonal tags purchased before May 31 will cost $30 and $35 after, up from $20 and $25, respectively.

Daily and weekly beach tags will double in price, increasing from $5 to $10, and $10 to $20, respectively.

The ordinance will be enacted by the time 2023 tags go for sale around Thanksgiving.

"We've tried as long as we could to not do this, but we're at a breaking point, and we just can't do it anymore," Councilman Bob Barr previously explained. Read More: 'At A Breaking Point': Why Ocean City May Raise Beach Tag Prices

"We do treat beach tags as a user fee," said Chief Financial Officer Frank Donato. "The intent of this ordinance is to continue to cover our costs by the revenue."

"It has been many, many years since we revisited the pricing of the tags. We've tried to hold the line as long as we could," Donato said.

Councilwoman Karen Bergman pointed out that the beach tags are still less expensive than shore areas in Monmouth and Ocean counties.

"I think we do an excellent job keeping our beaches clean. They're safe," she said.

Councilmen Bob Barr and Jody Levchuk said that things could always change if the fee increase affects Ocean City poorly.

"We're not locked into anything beyond this season," Barr said.

Some residents voiced concerns about enforcement of beach tags, which the Council said they were looking into. Another feared that badge checkers would be the targets of beachgoers angered about the price increase.

Susan Cracovaner was worried that raising prices "could make beach trips and vacations cost-prohibitive for the working class family."

"A daily trip for a family of four would now cost $20 more just to access the beach," Cracovaner said. "But this isn't the only cost. A family also faces increasing parking fees as well as increasing costs for food and for boardwalk entertainment."

But others were in support of the increase. Nancy Aiken, owner of Ocean City Mansion Bed and Breakfast, also suggested starting beach bag checks two weeks before Memorial Day and two weeks after Labor Day.

William Hooper, an Ocean City resident since 1978, said he and his wife "would gladly pay more for our seasonal tags," but suggested keeping the daily fee the same.

"It's just something that it's time to do," Barr said of increasing fees. "It's time. It's been long overdue. It should have been done a long time ago."