Deal increases beach badge prices as the summer season approaches
The town of Deal in Monmouth County has raised its seasonal badge costs to $200 per person – up from $150 last year.
In less than a week, you’ll have to pay to get on most beaches in New Jersey, as the summer season gets in high gear.
The town of Deal in Monmouth County has raised its seasonal badge costs to $200 per person – up from $150 last year.
Get ready to shell out two Benjamins if you’re planning on spending the summer in Deal. At $200 a head, it’s the most expensive seasonal badge in the state.
“Because the regulations say you have to match beach fees to beach cost, we have to wonder: has their costs gone up 30% in a year? We really doubt it,” said Ross Kushner, an advocate with New Jersey Coast Alliance, a compliance watchdog group.
A daily badge in Deal goes for $12 and a weekend pass is $15, closer to the state average.
For perspective, neighboring Long Branch charges just $70 for a season badge.
Kushner keeps track of beach towns and what they charge and remembers Deal’s rocky past in what he says were efforts to restrict beach access.
“They’ve had a lot of attempts to restrict parking in the town, whether it’s parking for residents only, fees for parking, and none of that really jives with the agreement with the state. They’ve lost every time. So, they’re not doing well with this," he said.
News 12 stopped by Deal Borough Hall to get answers on why the prices jumped so much from last year to this year and why they are the most expensive in the state. No one agreed to come on camera, and the town’s official response was “no comment.”
Other towns, like Bradley Beach, used a surplus from last year’s season to install accessibility ramps and improve drop off locations.
“Taxpayers sometimes don’t understand that they say oh we had a great beach season that should help our taxes and no it doesn’t work that way. Dollars generated here are used for the beach,” said Bradley Beach Mayor Al Gubitosi.
Kushner wants the state to investigate all beach towns that charge fees for compliancy. The problem is he says, for now, he’s the only one taking up that task.
“It takes a specific issue like that to get people riled up and we hope that they are,” he said.
News 12 reached out to the DEP for further comment. A spokesperson said they are working on a response.
