Park, youth sports fees likely to rise

The county's proposed budget even affects boaters and private leagues that use park fields.

By DAVID DECAMP, Times staff writer
Published August 3, 2007

NEW PORT RICHEY - The cost of enjoying Pasco County's parks might soon rise as county officials try to counter state-ordered cuts to property taxes.

Swimming lessons would double to $40. Shelter rentals would go up to $40, a $10 increase. Youth sports leagues could cost an extra $5 to play.

Charges would go up from $5 to $125 overall, depending on the activity or service, according to proposed revenue increases revealed Thursday.

"My goal in parks and recreation - that's my life - was to keep these costs low," parks and recreation director Rick Buckman said.

The increases are part of the county's proposed budget, which the County Commission can change before approving it in September.

The most lucrative increases for the county coffers would come from private leagues that use parks, and from boaters who use the ramp at Anclote River Park in Holiday.

The county would start charging a $125 fee to stripe playing fields. Prepping them before football, baseball and soccer events would cost an extra $8 to $46 each time work is done. Paint is not included.

The proposed fees bothered Tina Jones, who handles registration for the boys and girls soccer teams in the Hudson Youth Soccer leagues. The teams play at Veterans Memorial Park and Arthur Engle Park.

"If they want to start doing this, they had better make sure the fields are pristine," Jones said.

About 550 to 600 youths participate in the Hudson leagues, some of them from low-income families, Jones said.

"That would affect us quite a bit," Jones said of the nonprofit league, which charges a $65 registration fee that includes the cost of uniforms and trophies. "If they're going to be doing that, we're going to have to pass it on to the public."

The new sports fees would provide nearly $115,000 to the county.

At Anclote River Park, boaters would have to pay a new $5 fee to park their vehicles and boat trailers when using the boat ramp. County officials estimate that would raise $97,800. The cost to collect the fee would be $2,400.

County officials had declined to provide the little-discussed park fee changes since the budget was released July 10. Budget director Mike Nurrenbrock e-mailed the fee hike list for parks Thursday after the Pasco Times filed a request under Florida's open records law.

Buckman characterized the proposed hikes as a starting point. However, they are included in the proposed budget for next year, and the county commissioners are pressing for more spending cuts.

"How firm is this? It's not firm at this point," he said.

The proposed parks department budget would increase 5 percent to $12.5-million next year. It will have 162 employees, one less than this year, despite adding park space.

In fact, Nurrenbrock indicated the commission could be asked to approve $2 to $4 daily increase in day camp charges for children. The existing fees are $4 to $6 a day, depending on the size and location of the day camp.

Several county commissioners said this week they had not been briefed on the details of the parks fees, but said the county has a responsibility to find ways to pay for upkeep at the sites.

"People care about parks and libraries," Commission Chairwoman Ann Hildebrand said. "They are the kinds of things that make a county whole."

David DeCamp can be reached at ddecamp@sptimes.com and (727) 869-6232.

[Last modified August 3, 2007, 00:08:00]