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Isn’t Belmar Crowded Enough?

Do we really need a Tourism Commission?

Internet seems to working for now but I better write fast so here goes:

Call me a heretic, but being up here at PorcFest has begun to recharge my libertarian batteries so I’m going to come right out and say it.  I really don’t give a damn if tourists want to come to Belmar or not and personally I would prefer they didn’t come if they plan to use the 4th Ave beach.

There I said it.

It may be true that visitors spend a lot of money here, especially for food and booze, and that helps the local food and booze joints.  And more and more visitors means more and more food and booze joints.  So what?  How does that help us?  How often do we go out to dinner or go out drinking and dancing?  I would much prefer to see year round businesses that serve the people who live here.  The tourist businesses are starting to crowd out the regular people businesses.

I no longer believe that any of this keeps our taxes down.  Even after years of activity by Tourism and the SID, and years of fees and additional taxes paid by the business community, in the most recent tax revaluation the values of Belmar’s commercial properties went down.   We will be collecting less tax from them.  On top of that, much of the new development has been done under redevelopment agreements, with “payments in lieu of taxes” which is always a good deal for developers and a bad deal for the rest of us, including competing property owners.

Keeping our beaches crowded and our tourist oriented businesses busy increases our police and public works costs without any appreciable increase in tax revenues.  It makes a lot of traffic.  The streets where we live become crowded, noisy and dirty.  And the beaches become too crowded for the locals to enjoy.

This is not to say that I would do anything to discourage tourists from coming here.  Not at all.  Folks should be free to come here and be welcomed here and if business spring up to serve them that’s fine.  But it should be natural.  We don’t need to force it.  Just run the town well and don’t worry about promoting it.  Get rid of the Tourism Commission.

19 Comments

  1. A Beach Guy wrote:

    If the costs are paid by taxes i am definitely against it. There is an economic term called the law of diminishing returns, I think the best example of that was the seafood festival.I doubt there was any profit in that fiasco.

    Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 8:34 am | Permalink
  2. Anonymous wrote:

    Well said.

    Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 10:31 am | Permalink
  3. elemental wrote:

    Right on!

    Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 10:42 am | Permalink
  4. Belmar Pragmatist wrote:

    Even though the Tourism Development Commission would need an ordinance to “rid” the town of its obsolescent reality. The Commission has made themselves obsolete and unimportant. Let me explain. This year alone From Jan. to May, they met only twice. The minutes reflect that they rarely discuss the Annual Seafood Festival and never plan or rethink it. By ordinance and State Law, the Commission should be on it’s third 10 year plan for developing Tourism. No plan exists. Ask any Commissioner or even the CFO about how much in in the account to spend. No one knows, but the tourism fee bills go out to businesses every year. Candidate for Council Burke would replace them all. I support Dave’s idea, but after we get a full accounting.

    Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 10:58 am | Permalink
  5. admin wrote:

    Actually it’s my contention that the better they do their job, the more miserable the summers become for the people who live here.

    Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 11:23 am | Permalink
  6. Anonymous wrote:

    Excellent point. The tourists flock here whether there’s publicity or not, many folks have been coming here entire lives.

    So yes, Belmar is crowded enough and there are too many bars. It would be great if an ordinance was passed to prevent any more bars. That would make the town more wholesome. It would also cut down on drunk driving incidents

    Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 11:57 am | Permalink
  7. Belmar Pragmatist wrote:

    Well, we disagree. I contend that they have done nothing and we have now ,what we have. Our summers are more miserable because the Annual Seafood Festival is and has been on automatic pilot. Fact: the marketing firm ( responsible for over-advertising )was never hired or paid for by the Commission. Therefore, the better the administration does their job….

    Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 12:04 pm | Permalink
  8. Is It Legal? wrote:

    #6. SUPRISE!!!! we have had that ordinance on the books for a long time. Perhaps you should recommend that the borough officials obey the ordinance for it surely exists thanks to Pringle
    et al. ie: KNOW YOUR BOROUGH ORDINANCES.
    Perhaps this site could branch out and have a “knowyourboroughordinances.com

    Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 3:07 pm | Permalink
  9. WHO R "we"? wrote:

    July 17, 2014 Council Meeting- Mayor asked Mike Campbell to address Seafood Festival.
    ” After each major event, and one being the seafood festival, WE sit down and WE have an evaluation of everything that’s happened for that one, trying to make it better for the next year….It’s part of MY training from what WE used to do. It’s just something WE do.”

    Very reassuring considering this year’s fiasco. So Mike Campbell…who is “we”?.

    Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 3:18 pm | Permalink
  10. Tulips wrote:

    Admin. You may find that most of the 45 and over group feel the same way you do in reference to the town especially those with children. I agree with you.

    Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 5:18 pm | Permalink
  11. Anonymous wrote:

    wee, wee, wee all the way home said the little piggy

    Thursday, June 25, 2015 at 7:48 pm | Permalink
  12. SUNSHINE wrote:

    I agree. No more bars

    Friday, June 26, 2015 at 7:15 am | Permalink
  13. Just Passing Through wrote:

    The only way I see to continue the Festival is off season, not sure that will work out as I believe they schedule locations weekend by weekend, I doubt the ones far away will participate, that’s ok give a chance for NJ restaurants to showcase.

    Friday, June 26, 2015 at 9:12 am | Permalink
  14. An Observation wrote:

    Why does Belmar even need a tourism commission??? There is not enough $$$ to offset the aggravation the taxpaying residents endure, and Government is NOT a business !!!, How much of the sales tax and income tax is the state giving Belmar??? What are we doing???

    Friday, June 26, 2015 at 9:17 am | Permalink
  15. Guest wrote:

    We certainly don’t need a tourism dept. I guess the town workers like it as it generates a nice overtime check for DPW and police!

    Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 6:50 pm | Permalink
  16. no mo money wrote:

    More overtime = bigger pensions = more taxpayer money to pay for those pensions.

    Saturday, June 27, 2015 at 8:40 pm | Permalink
  17. Eugene Creamer wrote:

    gene

    Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 7:59 am | Permalink
  18. An Observation wrote:

    I looked for Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant Tourism sites and if you notice they are run by the State Of New Jersey the one who really benefits, that’s the way it should be. Some one made a comment about our purpose is to get the dpw and special and regular police OT. Its time for this ruse to STOP!

    Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 11:23 am | Permalink
  19. Resident wrote:

    Thanks Gene:
    Then we can talk about the tax abatements-adding even more stress.

    Sunday, June 28, 2015 at 11:26 am | Permalink

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