Margate to give one Calypso Cove pass to each child who signs up for city sports leagues

The Margate City Commission approved a program to issue one Calypso Cove pass to every child who registers for a city sports league. The measure passed on a 4–1 roll call vote after commissioners debated fiscal prudence in light of potential state reductions to property‑tax revenue.

Commissioner Rosano framed the idea as a low‑cost way to introduce families to the city’s water park and to generate concession and ancillary revenue. City staff said the program’s direct cost is limited to printing or voucher administration and estimated the average additional concession spend is about $8 per visitor. Staff also said many adult chaperones pay full price and that not all free tickets necessarily represent foregone revenue because some children would not have attended otherwise.

Commissioner Simone opposed the measure, citing the risk of incremental giveaways while the city faces possible state measures that could significantly reduce local property‑tax revenue. Supporters said the program could increase park awareness and future paid visits.

The commission instructed staff to implement a tracking process to monitor use of the passes and to report back on participation and fiscal impact. Staff suggested a voucher or digital confirmation tied to registration to control distribution and verify eligibility.

Next steps: Parks staff will implement the pass distribution system for the January sports registration period and provide usage statistics to the commission.