Atlantic County Commissioners oppose bills to ban municipal beach tags

The Atlantic County Board of Commissioners on record opposed state bills A4816 and S4158, which would bar municipalities from requiring beach tags to access municipally owned beaches. Commissioners voted to adopt a resolution opposing the proposed legislation.

Commissioners said the bills would remove a local user-fee tool that municipalities use to fund beach maintenance and staffing. "It's a user fee," Commissioner Richard Burns said, arguing municipal badges here are inexpensive compared with some Northern Jersey communities and warning the loss of revenue would shift costs to taxpayers. Burns said the change could also complicate enforcement and reduce seasonal staffing that helps keep beaches clean and safe.

The resolution cites municipalities including Brigantine, Longport, Margate and other shore towns that have passed similar local resolutions opposing the bills. Commissioners who spoke in favor said the bills would not benefit Atlantic County communities and expressed support for local control of beach-fee policies.

The board approved the resolution during the meeting; the clerk read the resolution aloud before the roll call. There was no public comment recorded on the measure during the meeting.

The county's action is a formal expression of opposition; it does not itself change municipal ordinances or state law. The transcript does not record further legal citations or next steps such as transmittal to the county legislature or state legislators.