By Kyle LoJacono
County commissioners are poised to create and raise fees to make up the more than $900,000 budget shortfall in the Pasco County Parks and Recreation Department.
“We tried to look at what other counties in the area were doing to make up for their budget problems,” said the department’s director Rick Buckman. “Hillsborough and Pinellas have both created admissions fees for regional parks and raised fees for summer programs and athletics leagues. We’d rather have fees than close parks during the week and cancel programs.”
In Hillsborough, officials created fees to enter regional parks last November, according to spokesman John Brill. It also increased the fees to participate in certain activities, such as summer programs and athletic leagues.
“When we asked for public input the majority of people said they would rather see fees than parks closed during the week or programs eliminated,” Brill said. “…The thought behind adding fees instead of raising taxes is the department felt the people who use the parks the most should be the ones paying to maintain them. We didn’t want to tax people who never use the facilities.”
Buckman echoed Brill’s sentiment, saying, “That’s what we saw in Hillsborough County and things seem to be working. They haven’t had to shut down their parks and that’s what we are working to do in Pasco County.”
Pasco Commission chairwoman Pat Mulieri said she and the other commissioners were in agreement to adopt Buckman’s proposal.
“We’ve basically decided to keep the sheriff’s budget where it is, which means we won’t have to cut elsewhere to make up for that,” Mulieri said.
The current budget for the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office is $85.5 million and the department was asking for an increase to $89.4 million. Had the increase gone through, the parks department would have had a large budget shortfall.
“The suggestions by Mr. Buckman will allow us to maintain our park services,” Mulieri continued. “We didn’t want to close parks or cut park services and the new plan should allow us to avoid those things.”
Buckman said he thought the fees to enter regional parks would be $2 per car, which is the same as in Hillsborough. An annual pass will also be offered for frequent uses, but the price is still being discussed. In Hillsborough the fee does not apply for entry to other department facilities and Buckman believed it would be the same in Pasco.
Another area that will see fees for the first time are youth leagues co-sponsored by the county. In the past these leagues only had to pay direct expenses like electricity.
“We’ve never charged children in leagues we co-sponsor either, but we had to do something if we were going to keep them,” Buckman said. “The choices were to either make small fees or have the leagues take care of the facilities on their own. We talked to the league presidents and they favored the fees.”
Some of those co-sponsored leagues include Central Pasco Youth Soccer, the Wesley Chapel Athletic Association and Dade City Little League. There are 35 such youth programs in the county.
Mulieri, who represents District 2 including Land O’ Lakes, Odessa and Shady Hills, said it will cost participants $10 for two sessions in these leagues and $25 or children who come from other counties.
“The families from outside counties will pay a little more because they aren’t paying into the tax pool,” Mulieri said. “That makes it more fair for the people who live in Pasco County.”
Like Hillsborough, the new Pasco fees will allow people in financial need a way to enjoy the parks and services as well. Children receiving free or reduced price lunches will pay $5 for two sessions in Pasco sponsored leagues and may even qualify for a scholarship.
Buckman also proposed raising fees for athletic programs and other services offered, such as adult softball offered at the Land O’ Lakes Community Center.
“It’s been a rough year for everyone and we’ve had to make a lot of cuts,” Mulieri said. “People want to maintain their quality of life and need a place to raise their kids. Parks are an important part of people’s lives and raising healthy children and we believe Mr. Buckman’s ideas are the best way to maintain our services and keep our parks open.”
Brill said the Hillsborough department has collected $500,972 from regional parks’ entry fees and annual passes from November through May 30.
Buckman said he is not sure if further elimination of department services will be needed to make the budget. The Hillsborough department had to eliminate its special events team, which helped during the set up of such events as the Lutz Independence Day Celebration.
The final fees will not be set until the budget is finished Oct. 1, but the proposal will be submitted in July.
Proposed changes
$2 fee to enter regional parks
Increased fees for programs offered through the parks department
Fees for co-sponsored youth leagues
Fees to launch boats at regional parks
Some central Pasco parks and centers
Land O’ Lakes Community Center in Land O’ Lakes
Land O’ Lakes Recreation Complex in Land O’ Lakes
Turtle Lakes Park in Land O’ Lakes
Suncoast Trail in Odessa
Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Park in Odessa/New Port Richey
Crews Lake Wilderness Park in Shady Hills
Some east Pasco parks and centers
Samuel W. Pasco Recreation Center in Zephyrhills
James Irvin Civic Center in Dade City
John S. Burks Memorial Park in Dade City
Withlacoochee River Park in Dade City
San Antonio Athletic Complex in San Antonio
Wesley Chapel District Park in Wesley Chapel
Some north Hillsborough parks and centers
Lake Park in Lutz
Lutz Community Center in Lutz
Oscar Cooler Sports Complex in Lutz
Nye Park in Lutz
Lake Rogers Park in Odessa
Keystone Recreation Center in Odessa
NFL Yet at Mort Recreation Center in Lutz
Lettuce Lake Park in north Hillsborough
