Ocean City Council Votes No On Marijuana

Marijuana legalization is closer to reality in New Jersey. But Ocean City Council maintained their rejection of weed in Ocean City, voting to prohibit businesses and "cultivate, manufacture, test or sell" marijuana or related paraphernalia at Thursday's council meeting.

The ordinance applies to zoning businesses for both medicinal and recreational marijuana. Council voted unanimously to ban marijuana businesses. Councilman Michael DeVlieger said it's sad the council ever had to contemplate this.

The ordinance states that "there is no area in the City which can safely house a business selling medicinal and recreational marijuana and/or the paraphernalia that facilitates the use of same."

At Thursday's meeting, Mayor Jay Gillian also said there will be no tax increase on local properties in the 2019 municipal budget. Ocean City's five-year budget plan was introduced. The plan includes continuing drainage projects, taking care of the beach, affordable housing and more.

The affordable housing plan includes the following:

• Bayview Manor RAD Rehabilitation: $2.75 million in 2019
• Speitel Tower: $3.7 million in 2019
• Demolition of Peek's Beach North: $200,000 in 2019
• Peek's Beach New Units: $9.37 million in 2021.

The meeting merely contained a preliminary summary of the budget proposal. Each section will be scrutinized further at future meetings.