Henderson recreation fee hike decision postponed
Henderson postponed a plan to hike city recreation fees after nearly 20 people spoke against proposed sharp increases at a meeting Tuesday.
The City Council voted unanimously to hear a revised proposal July 7.
A consultant recommended raising dozens of fees, finding that Henderson’s charges are below those of other cities and don’t cover enough of the costs of providing services.
Parents said they worried the fees proposed by the consultant could force some families to pull their kids out of swimming teams. Mike Polk, owner of the Boulder City Henderson youth swim club, said monthly bills for some of his 400-plus members could nearly double.
During more than 90 minutes of public comment Tuesday, residents urged council members to raise prices more gradually. The comments focused almost entirely on swimming, though the study covered all city recreation services.
Some speakers said good recreation centers help make Henderson a nice place to live.
“This is as important as street lighting,” said Anurag Singh, whose daughter is a swimmer.
He and others said being on a team has taught their children about hard work and discipline. Kelsey Antolick, a Coronado High School student and BCH member, said swimming “developed me into who I am today.”
After hearing from residents, council members asked staff to study phasing in fee increases and providing more “scholarships” to people who can’t afford them.
Councilman Sam Bateman said the city bore some blame for the problem, having gone years without reviewing fees, then “trying to play catch-up” by raising them overnight.
Contact Eric Hartley at ehartley@reviewjournal.com or 702-550-9229. Find him on Twitter: @ethartley
