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Tyrone council approves 2026 soccer field use agreement after debate over fees and oversight
Summary
After a lengthy discussion about whether long‑term field users are undercharged and whether the town should review nonprofit operators' finances, the council approved the 2026 Tyrone Soccer Field Use Agreement and agreed to review contracts and reports for future seasons.
A council vote Tuesday approved the 2026 Tyrone Soccer Field Use Agreement after councilmembers debated whether youth field‑use contracts were generating appropriate revenue and provided sufficient town oversight.
A council member raised the issue, saying the town’s current fees “have not been increased since 2022” and that exclusive, nine‑month use of the fields for $3,000 warrants a closer look at operators’ financials. The council member asked staff to provide “profit and income for the last couple years” or a budget report so the town can judge whether fee levels are reasonable.
Other councilmembers cautioned that youth recreation programs are not primarily revenue sources and noted the nonprofits that run the programs also perform field maintenance. One council member said, “I would never put youth programs at risk, but just want to make sure that financially we are getting in return.” Council members agreed the town bears some maintenance costs — including mowing — that should factor into any fee calculation.
Council discussion resulted in two practical steps: approving the existing 2026 agreement so programs could proceed without interruption, and directing staff and council to pursue additional information and contract language changes before next year’s agreements. That review will include requests for registration, participation counts and budget reports from the nonprofit operators.
The motion to approve the 2026 agreement carried on a voice vote; no roll‑call tally was recorded in the public proceedings.
Next steps: council members said they will meet with the soccer and baseball organizations to request financial summaries and consider whether exclusivity clauses or out‑of‑town fees should be revised as part of future contracts.
