> The town administration and Board of Aldermen say money from parking helps support the town’s robust ocean lifeguard team, the police and fire departments, restroom maintenance, and litter collection. … > Jenna Haverstock, the president of local environmental nonprofit Plastic Ocean Project, told town officials that she has had difficulty finding volunteers for beach cleanups due to the fees. If some of the money pays for “litter collection”, why do local volunteers feel the need to do beach cleanups? Time for an audit. > This year, the town expects nearly $5.8 million in gross revenue from parking fees, though in past years revenue has exceeded its projections. … > Paid parking revenue also supports the town’s general fund, which the latest financial report says has “the necessary resources to recover from emergencies such as hurricanes, floods, or the recent pandemic.” Last year, the town also budgeted $1 million for beach renourishment, which adds sand to the coastline to fight erosion. (The most recent renourishment project, completed in March 2024, was federally funded, so some visitors note that their tax dollars already help protect the beach.) More evidence of embezzlement. > State law bars most cities from using parking revenue for anything other than parking and traffic enforcement, but Wrightsville Beach received a statutory exemption in 1998. That has helped Wrightsville Beach keep property taxes at the lowest rate in the county. That’s big, but there are still signs of corruption. You put that much money in the hands of a small town council and someone will find a way to funnel it back to themselves. Look for companies the town is paying that are owned by town council or admin members. Someone is milking that cash cow and it’s not the residents. Aside from that, parking fees are their way of charging an admission fee to use their beach. Without those they would have a hard time covering the costs of keeping the beach safe and clean, and both the beach and the town would be swamped with visitors. I’m not even sure they are going overboard with the rising fees. If the local roads are still congested from beach traffic then the fees are about where they need to be. The hard truth is that everyone and their dog wants to go to the beach, but it’s not big enough for all of them.