Tax Increase In Store With New Projects For Ocean City
OCEAN CITY, NJ — Ocean City has a number of new projects planned for the upcoming year, but with that comes a tax rate increase, according to Mayor Jay Gillian.
Gillian gave his annual State of the City address at the March 14 City Council meeting, where he outlined what’s in store for Ocean City, including a 3.7 cent tax rate increase.
“We face the same increases that everybody else does,” Gillian said, noting that pensions, insurance costs, utility costs and more are up.
Click Here: Luis Suarez Jersey Sale
Find out what's happening in Ocean Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
But there will be capital projects in store for Ocean City in the upcoming budget, which will be officially announced with more details at the March 28 council meeting.
One new project is a campaign to “let everybody know there’s always a spot to park in Ocean City,” Gillian said. Administration plans to invest in technology that will allow people to know in real time where they can park and how many spots are available at municipal lots.
Find out what's happening in Ocean Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Gillian also noted that a big part of the city’s success is due to their focus on public safety.
“While some other towns have eliminated seasonal police officers altogether because they can’t attract candidates, our seasonal force is one of the biggest in the state and helps us keep our town family-friendly,” he said.
Salary increases for public safety workers are part of why the tax rate is increasing, he said.
And things like the beach badge fee increase and subsequent revenue are offsetting higher costs, Gillian said.
Overall, the state of the city is “strong,” Gillian said.
“Buying a home here remains the best investment anybody can ever make,” he said. “And there will never be a better place to live.”
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
