NJ Shore Towns Cool To Proposed Elimination of Beach Tag Fees
By David Madden
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- We recently told you of a plan by a New Jersey legislator to push for an end to beach tag fees, using recovery from Hurricane Sandy as the reason to revive the discussion (see related story).
As you might guess, the idea is not being warmly received in many circles -- at least not right now.
Forget, for a minute, about how the shore communities would take to the idea of cutting off a prime revenue source. It's the timing of state senator Mike Doherty's idea that has a lot of people scratching their heads.
"I think to bring up beach tags and beach fees, and who pays for what, and getting into that age-long discussion, is clearly insensitive at this particular point," says Bill Dressel, executive director of the New Jersey League of Municipalities.
Dressel isn't dismissing Doherty's idea out of hand -- an idea which has been debated off and on for years.
But with the massive recovery task ahead, Dressel suggests, the beach tag talk should rank quite low on the priority list.
