SEA BRIGHT — Mayor Gregory Harquail announced that the borough has received a $40,000 extraordinary aid grant from the state to help offset the 19-cent increase in the tax rate from the skewed division of next year’s Shore Regional High School budget.

Observing the money was "just a drop in the bucket," Harquail conceded that the borough "would have to be happy with whatever" it gets from the Department of Community Affairs.

Sea Bright had applied to the state for extraordinary aid in March based on a proposed $3.9 million municipal budget, which would raise taxpayers’ bills by 7 cents and increase the tax bill for a $200,000 home by $140.

Shore Regional’s $9.4 million budget will raise taxes for the owner of a $200,000 home an extra $389 in order to send 35 students to the high school. The students make up a mere 5 percent of the school’s population.

Harquail said at last week’s council meeting that he had met with assemblymen Steve Corodemus (R-11) and Joe Palaia (D-11) and had asked for a "considerably larger amount" of money than what the borough had received.

The Borough Council has yet to approve a final budget, and the mayor said after the meeting that they are still hoping for further funding from the state, but stressed that he appreciated the grant as only a handful of municipalities received any assistance this year.

Harquail noted that last year Sea Bright also received an initial $40,000 extraordinary aid grant from the state which later increased with an additional $75,000 grant.

In 1998, Sea Bright received $200,000 in extraordinary aid from the state, observed Borough Attorney Scott Arnette.