Seaside Park hears study showing annexation feasible but residents press for clearer tax and service impacts

Seaside Park’s mayor and council convened a March 5 work session to hear an impact study on a proposed annexation of South Seaside Park, receiving a detailed presentation from consultants and a planner and extensive public questions about taxes, utilities and the pace of the process.

Consultants from Government Strategy Group told the council their analysis — described repeatedly as informational, not prescriptive — found the annexation to be feasible. ‘‘It’s financially feasible, but it’s not automatic,’’ said Sharron Rountree, the report’s author, noting an estimated one-time transition cost of roughly $670,000 and first-year operating cost increases of about $2.9 million offset by additional revenue. The study models hiring about 13 new municipal positions over time and recommended up to five additional police officers and three public-works staff if annexation proceeds.

Kendra Lille, a professional planner who prepared the zoning and master-plan review, told the council the town would likely need a parcel-by-parcel land-use analysis and a comprehensive master-plan update. ‘‘There are probably more inconsistencies than consistencies’’ between South Seaside Park’s zoning and Seaside Park’s land-use plan, Lille said, adding that a full master-plan process could cost on the order of $100,000 and take considerable time.

Legal counsel Jean Cipiani outlined the statutory process, noting the New Jersey Supreme Court has already held petitioners met the multi-part test required to advance annexation. She reminded the public that actual annexation would require ordinance readings, a two-thirds vote of the governing body to reach second reading and final adoption, and that the effective date of any adopted ordinance would make South Seaside Park part of Seaside Park for tax and voting purposes.

Residents focused much of the public-comment period on taxes, water supply and service logistics. Several speakers requested a clearer, simple breakdown showing how municipal, county and Central Regional school taxes would change in best, median and worst cases. ‘‘We need the best, worst and median case on what an average overall property tax would be,’’ said one resident, urging a straightforward pullout for the report.

Consultants acknowledged the complexity and agreed to produce a simplified tax summary for publication. Rountree said the study’s tax estimates were intentionally conservative and drew school-tax figures from Central Regional and other official sources; she and Ken Roberts said the study models multiple scenarios for apportioning Berkeley Township debt attributable to South Seaside Park.

Water capacity drew pointed questions from residents who cited prior technical reports. Tom Joseph said materials from a water-engineering public meeting suggested South Seaside Park has spare well capacity sufficient to avoid building the proposed Well 11 at Desert Palm, potentially saving ‘‘several million dollars.’’ Gary Abzarny, a licensed water-system operator who addressed the meeting, cautioned that New Jersey’s definition of ‘‘firm capacity’’ assumes the largest well could be offline; he also noted Shore Water is a private company and cannot be absorbed by annexation without purchase. Abzarny added that emergency interconnections exist but would require metering and looping upgrades to serve as reliable, day-to-day supply.

Residents also raised operational concerns about day-one service provisions — from garbage trucks on narrow streets to voter registration and polling logistics if annexation were effective before an election — and asked how quickly Seaside Park could reconfigure routes, equipment and ballot lists. Counsel and consultants said transitional contracts and coordination with the Board of Elections would be required and that some services could be temporarily contracted while municipality systems are adjusted.

Several speakers urged the council to slow the process. ‘‘Don’t do this important decision in two weeks,’’ one resident said, describing the volume of unresolved details. Others said the report’s assumptions warranted more review, especially the school-tax projections, and asked the governing body not to treat the study as the final word.

No ordinance vote took place at the work session. The mayor closed the public discussion, and Council President Wilkes moved to adjourn the work session and convene the regular meeting; the motion was seconded and carried on roll-call vote.

What happens next: consultants said zoning ordinances to mirror South Seaside Park’s existing Berkeley Township codes would be introduced for first reading on the council agenda, and if the council moves forward, a 60-day, three-member negotiation committee (three members appointed by each municipality) would meet to attempt to allocate any attributable debt; unresolved financial disputes could go to court-appointed commissioners. The consultants also pledged to post a simplified tax-impact pullout on the borough website by Monday.