Fire Department Restructure

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  March 19, 2025

Brigantine, NJ – With utility bills continuing to rise across New Jersey, Brigantine City Council is pushing back against what they call an unfair and unjustified rate increase by Atlantic City Electric, which they say will place an undue financial burden on local families and businesses.

At the March 19th council meeting, Brigantine City Council passed a formal resolution opposing the rate hikes, calling on the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) to reject future increases that do not directly benefit consumers. The move comes in response to a significant rate increase approved for Atlantic City Electric, a decision Mayor Vince Sera says is out of touch with the economic struggles facing residents.

“This increase couldn’t come at a worse time for our residents,” Sera said. “Families, seniors on fixed incomes, and small businesses are doing everything they can to stay afloat in this economy, and now they’re being hit with even higher utility bills. It’s unacceptable.”

A Pattern of Poor Oversight

The resolution takes direct aim at the NJBPU’s history of approving rate hikes without sufficient transparency or justification, failing in its responsibility to protect ratepayers. According to city officials, the board has repeatedly allowed utilities to raise rates without ensuring that the additional revenue is used to improve service reliability or upgrade infrastructure. Instead, they argue, ratepayer dollars have been diverted into energy initiatives, such as offshore wind projects, that have consumed over a billion in funding yet failed to deliver any tangible benefits to consumers.

“For years, the Governor and the NJBPU knew these increases were coming, yet instead of looking out for residents, they focused on advancing a costly, ineffective energy agenda,” Sera said. “Rather than working to lower energy costs and improve service, they prioritized offshore wind projects that wasted more than a billion dollars, while the average person’s electric bill kept climbing.”

A Call for Fairness and Accountability

Brigantine’s resolution demands that future rate increases be directly tied to improvements in service and infrastructure, rather than being used to cover the costs of failed policies. The City is also calling on the NJBPU to increase transparency in the rate-setting process, ensuring that consumers have a voice before any new hikes are approved.

“We are calling on the members of the NJBPU to do their job and put consumers first,” Sera said. “No more blank checks for utilities. No more passing the costs of poor policy decisions onto hardworking New Jersey residents. The people of Brigantine—and across the state—deserve better.”

The resolution has been sent to Governor Phil Murphy, the NJBPU, and Atlantic City Electric, urging them to reconsider their approach to energy policy and consumer protection.

In the meantime, Mayor Sera says Brigantine will continue advocating for fair, responsible energy policies that prioritize affordability and reliability over political agendas.

“We’re not going to sit back while our residents are forced to pay more for less,” he said. “Brigantine is taking a stand, and we encourage other communities to demand accountability and fairness in utility pricing.”