Recreation fees to increase 2%

Recreation fees will increase 2% a year over the next five years.

That's an increase of 10% between January of 2011 and when fees are scheduled to be reviewed again in 2015.

The increase will be applied to everything for facility rentals to programs at the Parkinson Rec Centre.

Recreation and Cultural Services Director, Jim Gabriel, says the increase will take affect January 1, 2011 on most facilities.

The increase kicks in at the Parkinson Rec Centre April 1, 2011 and at Memorial and Rutland arenas September 1.

"That kind of worries me because that's a huge addition on fees that these individuals have to pay," says Mayor Sharon Shepherd referring to the fact the increase comes on the heels of a fee hike imposed with the introduction of the HST in July.

Councillor Luke Stack says he's a bit concerned because the automatic increases add up over time.

"I know you are trying to find that balance between fiscal responsibility and making it affordable for people but all these two per cents do add up and it makes me cringe," says Stack.

"I guess I can support it on the basis that we will be reviewing it again in 2015, because I don't want to just have the assumption that it will always go up forever and there's always more money to work with each year."

Facilities such as the rec centre pool and both arenas do not realize total cost recovery.

Gabriel says there is about a 45% cost recovery at the Parkinson Rec Centre Pool and a 65% recovery at both Rutland and Memorial arenas.

"The reality is it still is a user pay system," says Councillor Andre Blanleil in response to those numbers.

"If we don't raise the rates slightly every year, if our costs are going up, the general taxpayer picks up the difference. Either way someone is paying for it. It's not free, unfortunately."