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Council declines to refund municipal portion of concealed-carry permit fee after heated debate
Summary
After public comment and a lengthy council debate that weighed equity concerns and municipal budget impacts, the Old Tappan council voted against a resolution to refund the $150 municipal portion of the state-mandated concealed-carry permit fee.
Councilman Martin read a resolution authorizing refunds of the $150 municipal portion of the handgun carry-permit application fee (citing NJSA 2C:58-4) and framed the measure as an effort to ease burdens on low-income residents. “This $150 fee was basically a slap to law-abiding gun owners in New Jersey,” he said, arguing the fee disproportionately affects poorer residents and that the borough should ease that burden.
Public commenters and some council members pushed back, warning that eliminating the municipal portion would shift costs to the general fund and could reduce funding for public-safety and emergency services. Patrick Hamboudi Jr. told the council eliminating the fee would “simply shift the cost for processing those applications” onto all taxpayers. After extended discussion on costs, privacy and policy, the council held a roll-call vote; the mayor announced the resolution failed and would not move forward.
