NJ shore town may eliminate 3-day beach badges

Cape May hiked daily beach access prices by $2 ahead of summer 2021, but beachgoers found an easy loophole that resulted in the city losing out on a significant amount of beach-tag revenue.

Now, the resort city may get rid of its unique three-day tag moving forward.

"The only community in all of Jersey who has a three-day tag is us," Ed Rotz, beach tag supervisor, said during a presentation to City Council on Oct. 5. "I think it's totally useless."

As prices stand now, it's $8 to get on the beach during the summer months in Cape May. But unlimited access for three consecutive days is $15.

"People staying two days were buying the three-day tag and saving a dollar," Rotz told City Council.

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Compared to the year prior, sales of three-day tags shot up 71% in 2021, Rotz said. And daily tag sales dropped 41%. Daily tags were $6 before this summer — last year, it would have cost visitors more money to buy a three-day pass than two separate daily badges.

The three-day tags are the most difficult to enforce, Rotz added. They're not easily marked, he said, and different colors of tags may overlap depending on when they're purchased.

Council members agreed that they'd consider an ordinance at their next meeting to do away with the three-day tags.

Despite the hiccup, beach-tag revenue in Cape May this summer shot up $480,000 from last summer.