Sahuarita council tables parks-and-rec fee increases after hours of public comment

Mayor Murphy and the Sahuarita Town Council on May 21 paused proposed parks-and-recreation fee increases after more than an hour of public testimony from youth-sports volunteers and residents.

The ordinance presented by staff would have raised daytime field rental fees from $5 to $10 an hour and nighttime rentals from $15 to $20, and uncoupled lighting charges so users pay an additional $10 only when lights are requested. Nathan, the town management analyst, told the council field maintenance costs for electricity and water rose roughly 75% over the past decade and that the town currently spends about $900,000 on maintaining fields while collecting about $150,000 in rental fees (about 17% cost recovery). The proposal aimed to raise cost recovery to about 25%.

The proposal drew sustained objections from local youth-sports leaders who said the increases would impose substantial new costs on families and volunteer-run programs. "Raising the rates like this is going to kill us," said a Copper Hills Little League representative, describing registration and equipment costs already borne by volunteers. Volunteer Travis Ehlers described unsafe field conditions at Animax — including dips around home plate and large divots — and urged the council to prioritize maintenance and operations before raising fees.

Residents and league volunteers also questioned the timing and outreach on the specific dollar amounts. Jonathan Rupp, a volunteer, said teams and leagues had not seen the proposed numbers until days before the meeting. Others urged a more targeted approach — for example, discounts for local non‑profits, separate fees for joint‑use school fields, or exploring reclaimed water to reduce irrigation costs.

Council members acknowledged those concerns and debated comparators in neighboring jurisdictions, the town’s maintenance obligations under intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) with the school district for Wrightson and Anza fields, and options such as a stakeholder working group. Vice Mayor Egbert emphasized that residents who do not rent the fields also subsidize them and urged balance; others said more analysis and broader engagement were needed.

On a motion by a council member to table the parks-and-recreation section (section 3.1.0.15) of Ordinance 2024-174 so staff could return with more data and stakeholder input, the council voted to pause that portion of the ordinance and proceed that evening with the remaining fee items.

The council did not adopt any parks-and-rec fee changes at the meeting; staff said they will pursue further engagement and return with revised proposals and comparative data.