On City Council’s agenda today is the second reading and public hearing for the 2026 budget. The budget was initially presented to council on February 10, then reviewed in detail with the Council at a public workshop on February 12. The budget was introduced by Council at the March 10 City Council meeting, and following today’s public hearing will be ready for a vote by council. The budget includes a tax rate increase of three quarters of a cent; and the water and sewer utility has no proposed rate increase. As we’ve previously discussed, both budgets have an outstanding surplus position and will fund all the services our citizens have come to expect. The budget represents sound financial planning, and the administration recommends its adoption.
A little over two weeks ago, on Saturday, March 28th, we celebrated what I truly believe is a historic moment for Sea Isle City: the grand opening of our new Community Center. I want to thank the hundreds of residents and visitors who joined us for the ribbon cutting. Seeing the excitement as people toured the 44,000 square feet of this facility - what I’ve been calling "44,000 square feet of fun" - was incredibly rewarding. The Community Center is designed to serve every generation and is already becoming a hub of activity.
I want to thank our Community Services Department for hitting the ground running with a full slate of programming. I also want to mention that I’ve already held two “Chat with Mayor Desiderio” events at the Community Center the past two Saturdays. I will continue to host these “chats” periodically through the coming year and hope to hear from our residents about any concerns or suggestions they’d like to discuss with me one-on-one.
I’m also very pleased to announce that Sea Isle City is slated for a beach replenishment project, thanks to a recent $99 million federal funding allocation from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - announced by Congressman Jeff Van Drew just last week. Following that announcement, we had a meeting with our state partners from the DEP’s Office of Coastal Engineering, and they provided some details of this project that is being fast tracked. Based on the schedule provided from the Army Corps of Engineers to the DEP, the project was advertised for bids this past Friday, and dependent on the results of the bidding, we could see this project start as soon as this June. The beach-fill is planned to be placed between 29th and 53rd Streets. Until the Army Corps receives bids and awards a construction contract, we won’t be able to provide more specific details. I know there will be concerns about the timing of the work, but this project is vital.
Our beaches are not just our primary tourist attraction; they are our first line of defense against coastal storms. While we know that construction on the beach during the start of the season can be a minor inconvenience, the long-term protection of our homes, businesses, and infrastructure is our top priority. We will work closely with the Army Corps and the DEP to ensure the work is done efficiently and with as much respect to our visitors' schedules as possible. As soon as we have more details on the project following receipt of bids, we’ll let everyone know.
As always, please remember - we are one Sea Isle City and together we’ll be stronger than ever.
Smile…You’re in Sea Isle!
Mayor Leonard C. Desiderio
During the April 14 City Council meeting, Ordinance 1737 was Introduced with First Reading. This ordinance establishes parking regulations at various locations around Sea Isle City (including the Community Center, the Dog Park and along 4th Street) and will have Second Reading and Public Hearing (and possible adoption) during the City Council meeting on Saturday, May 9 (which is also “Community Day”).
After Ordinance 1737 was Introduced, Ordinances 1733 and 1734 were Adopted following their Second Reading and Public Hearing…
• Ordinance 1733, which is a routine annual ordinance written in conjunction with Sea Isle City’s Municipal Budget, allowed the city to create a “Cap Bank” (or preserve) for future use, thus allowing the city to more effectively manage our budgets over several years.
• Ordinance 1734 established fees for Open Public Record Act requests that involve the processing and redacting of police body camera footage and other police videos, due to the labor-intensive nature of that process.
Also on April 14, City Council adopted Sea Isle City’s Local Municipal Budget via Resolution 019A, following its Second Reading and Public Hearing. Now that the 2026 Budget has been adopted, municipal employees can utilize those funds to make purchases and provide the many services that our community needs. The members of City Council would like to commend the administration for presenting a sound, smart, stable budget that will continue to provide our community with outstanding services while also being fiscally responsible.
Each of the resolutions on the April 14 Consent Agenda was approved, including…
• Resolution 043, which authorized the city to enter into an Agreement with Cape May County to use our new Community Center as a “Reunification Facility” in the event of a qualifying incident occurring at a local school that would require parents to be reunited with their children off-site in a safe, controlled environment.
• Resolution 044, which authorized a Local Unit Budget Examination, which allows Sea Isle City to conduct a bi-annual self-examination, as per State law.
• Resolution 046, which authorized the purchase (through a State Contract) of a Chevrolet Tahoe for the Sea Isle City Police Department in the amount of $76,870, from Gentilini Chevrolet, in Woodbine, NJ.
• Resolution 047, which authorized the use of Tennis Fee Trust Funds in the amount of $10,800, for the annual reconditioning of the city’s clay (“Har-Tru”) tennis courts at Dealy Field, by Welch Tennis Courts, of Sun City, Florida.
• Resolution 048, which authorized the award of a contract in the amount of $1,150,184 with Lexa Concrete, LLC, of Hammonton, NJ, for the reconstruction and repaving of Central Avenue from JFK Boulevard to 56th Street. A portion of the funding to pay for this project will come from the NJDOT’s Municipal Aid Program. Work is expected to begin on this project in the autumn of 2026.
During the “Pending Business” portion of the April 14 meeting, Council President Tighe announced that City Council’s first meeting to be live streamed (and video-recorded) will be on April 28 at 10:00 AM. The company installing the audio-visual equipment for this process will be making final adjustments to the system on Friday, and additional information about how the public can livestream City Council meetings via YouTube will be announced soon (and also posted on the City Council page of our municipal website, www.seaislecitynj.us).
Also during the Pending Business portion of the April 14 meeting, Ms. Tighe asked the Business Administrator for the status of our dune paths and the installation of beach pathway mats (aka “Mobi Mats”); at which time Mr. Savastano explained that the city has obtained additional mats that will be in place this summer, and city workers will be clearing beach paths prior to Memorial Day weekend.
During the “Citizen Comment” portion of the April 14 meeting, a resident stepped to the microphone to show gratitude to the city for numerous reasons, including the city supporting an annual Autism fundraiser, adding beach pathway mats that help the elderly and those with disabilities gain access to our beaches, constructing Sea Isle City’s new Community Center, supporting the local business community, maintaining healthy beaches, and for hiring hard-working municipal employees.
During our next City Council meeting, which will take place on Tuesday, April 28, at 10:00 AM on the third floor of City Hall, Municipal Engineer Andrew Previti will outline the proposed 46th Street Flood Water Pump Station.
Best regards from the members of City Council,
Council President Mary Tighe
Ian Ciseck
Frank Edwardi
Michael Jargowski
William Kehner
