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Council probes recreation budget after large credit-card fee reclassification; discusses options to cover costs
Summary
Councilors examined the recreation (RAC) budget line for credit-card processing, learned a large portion of the increase reflected a reclassification from software to processing, and debated whether to pass fees through to participants, add convenience charges, or levy small registration fees to cover costs.
Councilors spent extensive time reviewing the Recreation Department budget and pressed staff about a large credit-card processing line, program pricing and how to keep recreation operations at least break-even.
Staff reported the budget shows a consolidated credit-card/online fee figure of roughly $108,000. They explained accounting changes moved about $45,000 of costs previously budgeted under software into the credit-card line, leaving a net processing increase of about $8,000 year over year after reclassification.
Councilors and staff discussed several ways to address the net processing cost: build the cost into program prices, add a convenience fee at checkout, or assess a small flat registration/administrative fee (several councilors suggested $5 per registration). Staff and councilors noted that some programs already operate at small losses while summer camps and other high-demand offerings can be fully subscribed and help offset overhead.
Councilors and recreation staff emphasized the department’s need to set conservative revenue forecasts and not assume best-case enrollment levels; several members recommended budgeting conservatively and aiming to under-promise and over-perform on revenues. Staff said summer camps have strong actuals and many programs sell out quickly — one example given was summer day camps that fill within the first 30 minutes of registration opening.
On program capacity, staff explained swim lessons are constrained by pool time and lane availability rather than interest alone. Councilors suggested partnering with schools to expand swim-safety instruction but staff warned one-on-one instructional time in PE is limited.
Staff also said the golf-related youth programming at Valhalla is fully subscribed and noted a local resident-discount policy; staff agreed to provide a further breakdown of resident vs. nonresident participation and comparative nonresident fees at neighboring towns.
No formal policy changes were adopted; councilors directed staff to return with options and numbers showing how different approaches (convenience fee, pass-through or flat registration fee) would affect program pricing and overall recreation net position.
Ending: Staff will run and report modeled scenarios for the credit-card fees and revenue assumptions and provide comparative nonresident fee data.
