Seaside Park unveils 2026 budget proposing 3.65% tax-rate increase, capital projects and shared services

Seaside Park officials presented the borough's proposed 2026 budget, saying it will be introduced at the March 30 regular meeting and that the public hearing and adoption are scheduled for May 7. The presenter, representing the Borough of Seaside Park, emphasized balancing community needs with the costs of providing services while keeping borrowing costs low.

The presentation outlined near-term fiscal choices and several specific items the borough plans to adopt or carry forward. "The local tax rate will be increasing by 3.65% from 2025, which is almost half of the increase from 2024 of 6.92%," the presenter said, putting the expected levy change in recent context. The borough also said it will maintain a surplus-anticipated balance of $1,000,000 "to help keep interest rates low when borrowing money."

Officials cautioned that revenue categories such as beach-badge and parking-meter receipts remain weather-dependent and noted that 2025 collections were slightly below expectations, limiting conservative revenue projections for 2026. The presenter said the borough is choosing not to anticipate $150,000 from the water-sewer utility to avoid "unnecessarily depleting the surplus in the water sewer utility fund." Construction-permit fees are being carried forward at prior-year collection levels after lower-than-expected receipts in 2025.

The budget includes rising personnel and operating costs tied to contract negotiations; the presenter said other operating expenses increased by $307,430, largely reflecting higher expected legal expenses. The borough plans a 10-year lease to replace a "34 year old ladder truck," a change the presenter described as a new 2026 expense for the fire department.

Seaside Park also plans two new shared services in 2026: Surf City will provide court-administrator services, and Seaside Heights will act as the lead agency for a new emergency medical services shared-service agreement. On capital projects, the borough listed prioritized departmental requests and said it will pursue funding options, including principal forgiveness and lower-interest loans. The presenter noted an NJDOT grant that will cover part of a planned F Street roadway improvement project and cited utility-funded projects such as rehabilitation of water wells and reconstruction of the marina bulkhead.

On utility finances, the presenter said the water-sewer utility fund remains "self liquidating at the end of 2025," and that the Marina Utility Fund is likewise self-liquidating; the marina budget is being kept flat at $600,000 for 2026. The presenter highlighted property-tax relief programs for seniors and said an email account was created for budget inquiries before the public hearing.

The next procedural steps are the budget introduction on March 30 and the public hearing and adoption scheduled for May 7. The presenter encouraged questions at the public hearing or via the designated budget email prior to that meeting.