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| Photo via Google Starting this summer, veterans may obtain a free Ship Bottom beach badge. |
Requiring residents and visitors to pay for separate beach badges for nearly all of the state’s shore towns in the summer is a controversial topic. Many people think accessing the beaches should be free. The fact that badge requirements vary by municipality, including on Long Beach Island where there are six different municipalities in just an 18-mile distance, is another point of contention. While some of the towns’ rules may eventually be updated to include free or reduced-fee badges for certain people due to a new bipartisan measure signed into law by Gov. Christie in January, some of the Island’s municipalities already offer beach badge exemptions for many of these citizens.
As per the new law, those eligible for a complimentary badge, which is at the discretion of each municipality by ordinance, include veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces who were discharged or released under conditions other than dishonorable and who have either served at least 90 days in active duty or have been discharged or released from active duty due to a service-incurred injury or disability; active military personnel in any of the U.S. Armed Forces, including the New Jersey National Guard, who have completed initial active duty training, and their spouses and dependent children over 12 years old; individuals who meet the disability criteria for disability benefits under Title II of the federal Social Security Act; and anyone 65 or older.
Those who qualify may present a valid military identification card, form DD-214 or similar document, or state driver’s license or identification card indicating that the holder is a veteran of the U.S. military.
Surf City has offered free badges to active military personnel and their immediate families for many years. These individuals can receive a wristband by showing the proper identification at borough hall. Children younger than 12 and seniors 65 or older are permitted to access the town’s beaches for free without having to obtain a badge.
Veterans and the disabled are not currently eligible for free or reduced badges in town.
“We’re not doing anything with that right now because we have to figure out the number of veterans in Ocean County alone,” said Borough Councilman Peter Hartney. “We don’t know the numbers, and we still have the expenses to take care of the beach. Our planning is already set.”
The town has to anticipate revenue from its beaches each year. If that number isn’t met, the funding has to come out of the budget, he explained.
Because the state has enacted the new law, the councilman believes it should provide grants to cover the additional costs, including for training badge checkers to properly identify appropriate documentation.
“Our costs don’t go away," Hartney said. "Do we have to raise our cost of the beach badge to cover our expenses?”
Many veterans are 65 or older and thus already eligible for free beach admittance, he noted. The councilman also pointed out that many rental properties provide badges for the use of whoever’s renting that house.
In Barnegat Light, free daily beach badges for active-duty military members and their families have been granted for many years. The service people can go to the borough’s beach badge booth and show their credentials to receive free daily badges.
“If they are here more than one day, they would just have to go to the booth each day for more passes,” said Brenda Kuhn, acting administrator/clerk.
Veterans will be allotted free access starting next year, agreed borough council after discussing the issue at its June 8 meeting.
“We are going to start giving free badges for veterans in 2017 because we have sold so many badges already that it wouldn't be fair to people who already purchased them and may have qualified,” said Kuhn.
Badges for seniors 65 or older cost $12.
In Harvey Cedars, veterans and servicemen and servicewomen who are on active military duty and their family have free access to the beach. They do not need a badge but are required to show their ID to a badge checker or lifeguard.
The town had granted active military and their families free access beginning in 2012, as a thank-you for their service. The veterans’ provision was added this year due to the Christie legislation.
Seniors 65 or older are eligible for a discounted seasonal beach badge, with proof of age, for $9.
In Ship Bottom, active military and their dependents get free access with their military ID card, and veterans get free access with their veteran ID card. The active military policy was instituted last year, while the free access for veterans started this year.
Badges are discounted to $10 for anyone 65 or older.
Long Beach Township has offered free access to the beaches for active military and their immediate family since 2006. Free admittance has been offered to veterans since 2014. Active military persons need only show their ID, while veterans are given a special veteran badge.
Senior citizens 65 and older can get a seasonal badge for $5, with proof of age. Senior badges issued prior to the 2010 season are lifetime badges. If senior badges are lost or misplaced, replacement badges can be purchased for the current season for $5 each.
Seasonal beach badges may be purchased only at the township’s beach badge sales locations. Daily and weekly badges can be bought only from a badge checker on the beach.
The township's badges can be used at the beaches in High Bar Harbor, Loveladies, North Beach, Brant Beach, Beach Haven Crest, Brighton Beach, Peahala Park, Beach Haven Park, Haven Beach, The Dunes, Beach Haven Terrace, Beach Haven Gardens, Bay Vista, Spray Beach, North Beach Haven, Beach Haven Heights, Silver Sands, Beach Haven Inlet and Holgate.
Active military personnel and their families as well as veterans have been allotted free beach access in Beach Haven since 2014, upon the presentation of a valid military identification card to a beach patrol supervisor at the Centre Street Beach Patrol Headquarters.
Senior lifetime badges are available for anyone 65 or older. Replacements cost $10 each.
For more information on beach badges, contact the towns’ corresponding borough halls.
— Kelley Anne Essinger
This article was published in The SandPaper.
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