TOMS RIVER, NJ – Toms River Mayor Maurice Hill is once again trucking sand into the towns’ beachfront communities such as Ortley Beach and Normandy Beach, but this time, he said Phil Murphy should pay for it.
It’s vital to Toms River’s summer tourism economy to have full beaches to accommodate residents from across the state, and Hill said it’s not fair that the residents of Toms River need to foot the $2 million bill alone, despite the beaches being used by New Jerseyans from across the state.
Hill said he had discussed the state covering the cost of the latest replenishment project after a Mother’s Day nor’easter wiped out sections of Ortley Beach, forcing early season closures at some beach access points.
This comes after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed a $129 million beach replenishment and dune rebuilding project in northern Ocean County. Since then, Hill has had to replenish the beaches in Toms River using local taxpayer dollars to truck sand in from the mainland.
“Everyone uses our beaches,” Hill said in an Asbury Park Press interview published today. “People come from all over the state to use the beach. Therefore, the state should help pay for the replenishment.”
Toms River already charges beachgoers to access the beach through beach badges that cost $60 per year per person. The revenue from those badges was originally intended to be used for the upkeep and maintenance of the beach, in addition to paying for lifeguard services.
The township would need to sell an additional 33,000 badges to cover the $2,000,000 replenishment bill. Hill and township leaders have thus far not produced a long-term plan to combat beach erosion typical during strong storms and hurricanes.