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Harbormaster seeks 10% mooring fee rise; council debates impact on residents
Summary
Harbormaster Steve Land proposed a 10% increase in annual mooring permit fees to catch up after 14 years without change; he said it would add about $41,000 to the harbor budget and pointed to a 1,600-person waiting list, while some councilors asked for more financial analysis and options to ease the burden on resident mooring holders.
Harbormaster Steve Land told the council that mooring permit rates had not been updated in 14 years and proposed a modest, phased increase to bring fees closer to peer communities. "We went with 10% this year just because we are slowly starting to come up to the norm," Land said, noting the harbor has about 1,600 people on the waiting list and that the initiative would add roughly $41,000 to the harbor department budget.
Several councilors objected to raising what they described as a resident-sensitive fee immediately after a near-maximum property tax increase, and asked the administration for a financial analysis and for options such as a two-tier structure that could reduce the burden on Newport residents. The council approved the ordinance amendment on its first reading and noted the item will return for a second reading with more supporting data.
