A municipal budget with a half-cent increase was passed by Barnegat Light Borough Council, and a new rule will impose a fine on homeowners who don’t activate their new digital water meters by the June 15 deadline.

The half-cent hike, bringing the 2021 tax rate to 23 cents per $100 of assessed value, will amount to a $40 increase on the average home. The average house in Barnegat Light is valued at $800,155.