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Hernando Today

County Rejects Park Fee Hikes

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By MICHAEL D. BATES

Hernando Today

Published: September 17, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - A proposal to raise user fees at local parks and boat ramps died a quick death Tuesday.

County commissioners voted unanimously to keep rates the same, despite Parks and Recreation Director Pat Fagan's warning that he would be forced to lay off four of his 39 employees and cut back on park maintenance.

County Commissioner David Russell said everyone is being forced to cut corners and now is not the time to nail parkgoers with more fees, especially when high gas prices are forcing people to stay home and use local parks to save money.

"Folks, we've got to draw the line somewhere," Fagan said.

County Commissioner Diane Rowden said it is unfair to dangle the loss of employees' positions as "bait" to raise fees, especially when there may be an option of transferring them to other positions in county government.
Rowden said boaters, for example, are already forced to pay multiple fees.

"It's just another tax, and I just can't support it," she said.

Fagan did win two concessions: He got approval to sell advertisements at the parks. Local businesses will be able to display their ads on such things as billboards, trash cans, pavilions picnic areas, park benches, scoreboards and banners.

Fagan expects to raise $15,000 from those advertisements.

Fagan also got the go-ahead to draw up a document asking the athletic leagues to volunteer their time to help with the upkeep and maintenance of park facilities.

Fagan was counting on the user hikes to add $325,000 to the parks and recreation department's general revenue.

The county funded or subsidized public recreation programs in the past. But a tight budget has led to decreased maintenance, which in turn presents an increased safety risk, he said.

Fagan said the rate hike was designed to affect only those who use the parks facilities and would not have impacted others through property taxes.

But the fees still didn't sit well with some at Tuesday's meeting.

William Gibbard, representing the Hernando Area Boat Club, objected to a $5 boat ramp charge. Boaters, he said, are already paying for boat and trailer registrations and increased gas costs.

"Needless to say, we're not too happy about it," Gibbard said.

Audience member Paul Johnson questioned how the county would even enforce the boat ramp hike.

Fagan said code enforcement staffers would be trained in enforcement methods and would monitor the sites.

The proposed increases would have included raising the fee for people who use picnic pavilions four hours or less from $30 to $50 (the new fee would have been $75 for pavilion use over four hours); a $20 annual fee to athletic teams who use local fields for events; a $5 parking fee for vehicles with boat trailers at Bayport, Hernando Beach, Jenkins Creek and Rogers Park boat ramps; and an annual pass increase from $40 per vehicle to $75 for Pine Island and Rogers Park.

Reporter Michael D. Bates can be reached at 352-544-5290 or mbates@hernandotoday.com.

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